Specifically: (1) will it be an open specification? (2) will it be patent encumbered? (3) will it require a license fee? (4) under what license will the specification be available to read? (5) under what license will the specification be available to deploy?
Hi,
This is covered in the press release.
"During the prototyping phase, the proposed MIDI 2.0 specification is available only to MMA and AMEI members, because the prototyping process may trigger minor enhancements to the specification. Once a final specification is adopted, it will join the current MIDI specifications as a free download on www.midi.org."
(1) will it be an open specification?
The MIDI 2.0™ specification is not open to be modified ( just as MIDI 1.0 specifications are not). That can only be done by the MMA and AMEI standards bodies but it is open to the public to use.
(2) will it be patent encumbered?
No, both the MMA and AMEI have IP policies in place that forbid members to propose any MIDI specification that would be patent protected unless the company agrees to provide a cost free license for the technology. Nothing in MID 2.0 is patented.
3) will it require a license fee?
No
(4) under what license will the specification be available to read?
It will be available for free download to MIDI Association members. There will be no license requirement.
(5) under what license will the specification be available to deploy?
Just like MIDI 1.0, there will be no license.
The only thing that is currently being discussed is the trademarking of a MIDI 2.0™ logo. That will be available for use by AMEI and MMA members to help people looking for MIDI 2.0 products to identify which products support the new specifications.
Simply put MIDI 2.0™ will be just like MIDI 1.0.
Of course, we should add that is the current plan, but we see nothing that would change that and many companies would oppose any changes to the core philosophy of MIDI.
MIDI has been and always should be free for people to use to play and create music and music products.
By the way, we just updated the MIDI-CI article on the site with some more details of MIDI 2.0™.
Thanks. These are great news. We at Notation Software (www.notation.com) are looking forward to the first official spec of the MIDI-2.0 standard.
We plan to become one of the early adopters of MIDI-2.0. For first prototype implementations simple midi file samples would be very helpful up front.
Looking forward,
Reinhold Hoffmann
CEO of Notation Software
www.notation.com