H.264 is not proprietary. It's a standard, created through the coordination and cooperation of a large number of groups. Unlike much software that is 'protected' under patents, the development of MPEGn, H.264, etc. was a significant investment in both time and money by those participating. That does not make it any more justified, but it is something to keep in mind -- the project is not a joke or a patent troll.<p>Anyone can view the standard and implement it. To distribute, you are to acquire a license from the MPEG LA. The terms are not onerous or the fee excessive. Google and Apple both pay the license fee for each download of Safari or Chrome. The patent holders have so far not prosecuted projects like x264, which distributes its implementations without a license.<p>Do I think software patents should be abolished? Yes. Do I think Mozilla is holding back the open web by not supporting H.264? Yes.