# Final MPEG-4 Visual Patent Expires

The last patent covering MPEG-4 Visual has expired, ending decades of licensing fees for the video codec. This removes legal barriers for software and hardware implementations, potentially boosting open-source adoption and lowering costs for legacy video content.

**Importance:** 3/5

## Sources

### Technology
- [Hacker News](https://www.phoronix.com/news/Last-MPEG-4-Patent-Expired) — Sun, 19 Jul 2026 16:45:17 +0000