Dolby labs, AAC and trademarks

This is an email from Dolby Labs to Roberto J. Amorim, webmaster of the magnificent site rarewares: http://www.inf.ufpr.br/~rja00/

Mr. Roberto Amorim
RareWares
rja00@inf.ufpr.br

RE: Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) Technology

I am writing to inform you that Dolby is the licensing administrator
for the new compression technology called AAC. We have searched your
web site at www.inf.ufpr.br/~rja00/ and discovered you are offering
unlicensed AAC software. This unlicensed software infringes patent
rights belonging to AT&T Laboratories (of Florham Park, New Jersey),
Dolby Laboratories (of San Francisco, California), Fraunhofer
Insititute (of Munich, Germany), and Sony Corporation (of Tokyo,
Japan). These companies take the unlicensed use of their technology
very seriously, and are presently in the process of communicating
with each of your software developers. Our goal is to provide them
inexpensive licensing arrangements so that they can continue to
utilize AAC technology. At present, however, none of your software
is licensed to use AAC. This illegal distribution is generating
liability.

Accordingly, please remove all software from your website regarding
AAC technology. We want to thank you very much for your cooperation
in this matter, and we apologize for the inconvenience caused. We'd
appreciate a brief email or call from you confirming your removal of
the files. We will promptly let you know when your hosted software
become licensed so that you can re-instate the files if you still
desire to do so.

Should have you have questions please feel free to contact me at
415-558-0792 or aacla@dolby.com.

Sincerely,

Christina L. Bonner
Dolby Laboratiories Licensing Corporation

Now, just consider the fact that both faac and the decoder (faad) are FREEWARE/OPENSOURCE, and judge by yourself.
IMO Roberto would normally tell the guys to go get a clean shave, but it's not to his style, so I'm afraid that rarewares may ggo ddown for a while.
If you don't mind, please email Dolby Labs and tell them to STOP this bullshit ASAP.
 
Remember the Nero plugins I mentioned - I bet that site is going to be getting this message soon as well.

The case is, as far as I can see, the same as with MP3.
Some countries grant software patents, others do not, and unless they can cite COPYRIGHT infringement, instaed of patent violations, it should be a matter of WHERE.
 
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