MPEG Audio FTP Server - Conformance Bitstreams & Software

Under what circumstances can I use MPEG-4 FCD reference software?

First, it should be understood that this software has the goal of describing and explaining the MPEG-4 standard.

The decoder software accurately implements one method of decoding MPEG-4 bit-streams. In this sense it is normative. However, there are other ways of correctly decoding MPEG-4 bit-streams. As long as the resulting difference in output from the output signal generated by this reference software is not larger than the limits set in the conformance part of the MPEG-4 standard, these other methods are also considered compliant decoders.

For the encoder, the purpose of this software is purely informative. It describes one example of possible encoding software producing bitstreams which comply to the MPEG-4 standard. This software is not optimized, neither in the speed of execution nor in the quality of the output signal. For some of the algorithms the picture or sound quality is similar to what is possible according to state-of-the-art encoding For other algorithms, (like the AAC t/f-encoding of audio signals) the encoder is just an illustration of techniques to be used and delivers an output quality far below the one which has been demonstrated in verification tests of MPEG-4.

The following copyright disclaimer is attached to the software modules in the reference software:

"This software module was originally developed by <FN1> <LN1> (<CN1>) and edited by <FN2> <LN2> (<CN2>), <FN3> <LN3> (<CN3>), … in the course of development of the <MPEG standard>. This software module is an implementation of a part of one or more <MPEG standard> tools as specified by the <MPEG standard>. ISO/IEC gives users of the <MPEG standard> free license to this software module or modifications thereof for use in hardware or software products claiming conformance to the <MPEG standard>. Those intending to use this software module in hardware or software products are advised that its use may infringe existing patents. The original developer of this software module and his/her company, the subsequent editors and their companies, and ISO/IEC have no liability for use of this software module or modifications thereof in an implementation. Copyright is not released for non <MPEG standard> conforming products. CN1 retains full right to use the code for his/her own purpose, assign or donate the code to a third party and to inhibit third parties from using the code for non <MPEG standard> conforming products. This copyright notice must be included in all copies or derivative works. Copyright 199_".

In the text <MPEG standard> should be replaced with the appropriate standard, e.g. MPEG-2 AAC (ISO/IEC 13818-7), MPEG-4 System (ISO/IEC 14496-1), MPEG-4 Video (ISO/IEC 14496-2), MPEG-4 Audio (ISO/IEC 14496-3). <FN> should be replaced by First Name, <LN> by Last Name, and <CN> by Company Name.