According to this article is a U.S. company, United Video, have since 1992 a patent for video-on-demand (VOD) in the broadest sense, namely on the process, compress video files to save, and to transfer responsibility over a telecommunications network. Hard to believe. After the video in USA in recent years, the patent had as it were put away for better times, it makes you look now, to demand licensing fees from big commercial VOD providers like MovieLink and CinemaNow - but do not push it without any resistance. Presumably, a court will have to decide about whether such a patent is at all permissible (as it was in the hyperlink technology, so the company claimed a success for themselves). more infos at bei www.wired.com
more infos at bei www.wired.com