Dolby has added its patents for the High Efficiency AAC audio encoding format to the MPEG-4 licensing pool, which is controlled by the MPEG LA. The decision means that now companies can add HE AAC (which is also known as AAC Plus) to the technologies they license via MPEG LA. MPEG LA's function is to provide a one-stop licensing shop for all the MPEG audio and video patents.
HE AAC is a more advanced form of AAC audio encoding that is used by various companies, probably most notably by Apple in its iPod audio player. HE AAC has been recently approved by the DVD Forum to be used in DVD-Video disc's "ROM zone", a standardized computer-compatible section found on upcoming DVDs.
Source: The Register
Source: The Register
