Research, standards and thoughts for the digital world

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MPAI MPEG ISO

MPAI – do we need it?

http://www.mpai.community/ Introduction Sunday last week I launched the idea of MPAI – Moving Picture, Audio and Data Coding by Artificial Intelligence – an organisation with the twofold goal of 1) developing Technical Specifications of coded representation of moving pictures, audio and data, especially using artificial intelligence and 2) bridging the gap between technical specifications and their practical use, especially using “framework licences”. The response has been overwhelming, but some have asked me: “Why do we need MPAI?”. This is indeed…

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New standards making for a new age

http://www.mpai.community/ Problem statement: Making standards, especially communication standard, is one of the noblest activities that humans can perform for other humans. The MPEG group used to do that for media and other data. However, ISO, the body that hosted MPEG, suffers from several deficiencies, two of which are: fuzzy governance and ineffective handling of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), the engine that ensures tech­nical innovation-based progress. The prospects of reforming ISO are low: installing good governance requires capable leadership and solving…

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The MPEG to Industry Hall of fame

At the suggestion of Steve Morgan, THE [RE]DESIGN GROUP, I initiate a new "MPEG to Industry" Hall of fame complementing the MPEG Hall of fame where I highlighted those who helped make MPEG what it eventually became, besides standards development. Suggestions are open. If you want to make a nomination please send an email to Leonardo adding the name of the nominee and a brief text explaining the contribution of the nominee to convert one or more MPEG standards into…

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This is ISO – An incompetent organisation

ISO is too important to leave it in the hand of people who are catapulted to Geneva from who knows where for who knows what alchemy to serve who knows what purposes. Of course, the way an organisation elects to hire people is their business. However, the mission of that organisation must be fulfilled. The mission “to develop high quality voluntary International Standards which facilitate international exchange of goods and services, support sustainable and equitable economic growth, promote innovation and…

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This is ISO – An obtuse organisation

Introduction This is the 4th episode of my series about the deficiencies of the organisation that calls itself International Organisation for Standardisation and claims “to develop high quality voluntary International Standards which facilitate international exchange of goods and services, support sustainable and equitable economic growth, promote innovation and protect health, safety and the environment”. I do not intend to make comment on how the mission is achieved – that is for everybody to judge – but on what is further…

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What to do with a jammed machine?

Introduction In this article I recall how the success story of the MPEG business model took shape, why that wonderful machine has jammed and how the competition is prospering. There could be a future that continues the successes of the past but more likely there will be another future that is costly for industry, research and consumers. This situation should prompt a call for action, but... A success story Starting with MPEG-1 (1992), MPEG standards have provided the industry with…

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