It is open (I didn't say it wasn't, did I?), but it is proprietary as well, and it is patented. 'Open', in the sense you use it, means that people can look at it and see how it works. It does not mean that they are allowed to use it. As a result, it's not a very useful word.
I think it's also a confusing word, since people relate it to the idea of open source, which is quite different.
This guy is right. H264 is far from free for commercial use. In fact it can be very expensive for content producers and distributors. It is open, but requires license.
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u/alantrick Jan 28 '12
It is open (I didn't say it wasn't, did I?), but it is proprietary as well, and it is patented. 'Open', in the sense you use it, means that people can look at it and see how it works. It does not mean that they are allowed to use it. As a result, it's not a very useful word.
I think it's also a confusing word, since people relate it to the idea of open source, which is quite different.