The open-source Ogg Theora video format is an important part of keeping video free on the web — but it won't be for long if Nokia gets its way.

In an objection filed with the World Wide Web Consortium against the selection of Ogg Theora as a baseline standard for web video, Nokia cites the lack of digital rights management (DRM) in the format makes it a "non-starter" for Hollywood. According to Nokia, the open source format is really proprietary, and DRM is an essential part of web video.

The good news is that the W3C has traditionally taken a stance against proprietary and restricted formats, so the likelihood of the Consortium kowtowing to the proprietary pressures is about as likely as Microsoft releasing Vista under the GPL.

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