Not really? The format is well documented. Whether it is possible to include some sort of exploit depends on the client you use to play it, and if so, I doubt Microsoft or IBM would be the ones to do it.
While the format is proprietary, the actual decoding and encoding processes can be open source. Like how a box can be locked, but everyone has the keys to open it and see what’s inside.
What’s proprietary about a format older than 25 years, meaning all possible patents have elapsed?
Proprietary is independent of patents. Different systems. There already exists open licensed, but patent encumbered formats or their inverse. WAV is proprietary, but again, is fully documented and there exists open licensed encoders and decoders.
I have no idea why it still remains proprietary, but its an old format, and IBM/MS probably just don’t really care about it since it’s last update was over a decade ago.
What makes it proprietary if it is documented and free to use?
The licensing of the format/it’s original implementation. Like how an emulator can be open source and FOSS licensed and be able to run proprietary games.
The WAV format never had a licence. It was a trade secret (a rather half-assed one, but whatever).
To be a “proprietary”, a file format needs to either be secret (in part or in whole) or require a licence. WAV satisfies neither of those criteria. It is not proprietary.
It would be fair to say that it was proprietary up until it was reverse engineered, but that doesn’t apply today. Every part of it is completely specified, openly and without any licensing or legal restrictions. It’s an open format.
The WAV format never had a licence.
By default that means that, depending on your jurisdiction, it is very likely proprietary. No license mean it does not impart any rights to you. Some places do have a “by default this is owned by the public domain”, but I don’t think that’s a standard.
To be a “proprietary”, a file format needs to either be secret (in part or in whole) or require a licence. WAV satisfies neither of those criteria. It is not proprietary.
The WAV format itself is owned and was developed by IBM/MS. I don’t know where you live, but that is wildly incorrect on how copyright law works in most places. By default, the creator owns the product and all rights to its use. Then they may choose to allow others to use it within a license or other agreement. In this case, IBM/MS allows anyone to use the file format, but it is within their rights to also disallow this at any time. Here you can see for yourself, it is a proprietary format. Something not being proprietary is an exception, you have to explicitly make something that way. For example Ogg Vorbis is open source, open licensed and patent free.
It would be fair to say that it was proprietary up until it was reverse engineered…
Being reverse engineered absolutely does not invalidate the proprietary ownership of a product. Compare this to the Ocarina of Time decompilation project; just because the game has been fully reverse engineered, does that mean that Nintendo does not still own the game and all rights to it?
It is? Isn’t it just a raw PCM signal?
Yes but with a container wrapper specifying format, padding and where the frame chunks start and stop.
Two container wrappers. For maximum inefficiency.
It’s such a Microsoft/IBM format. “Let’s use this structural wrapper format! And then just define a format inside one gigantic chunk inside it!”
When Apple had already created AIFF years before and actually used the structure of the wrapper to implement the metadata. And also adopted an open structural format that already existed on Amiga.
The text file of audio
Yep, and the format is ancient and free to use now.
I’m curious what would even be “snuck into it” ?
