The release of QuickTime 6, which has been delayed pending Apple’s desired modifications to the MPEG-4 licensing structure, could be held off for as long as half a year. A c|net article quotes MPEG LA executive Larry Horn as stating the group hopes to finalize the MPEG-4 licensing structure in the next three to five months. Horn also defended the group’s decision to charge a fee to both those who license the MPEG-4 codec and those who broadcast MPEG-4 content. “A use fee is fair. The marketplace recognizes the role that intellectual property rights play in the development of these technologies, and the good news is that the market understands the need for it to be respected and paid for,” Horn said. In his keynote today, Apple VP Phil Schiller gave no indication as to when QuickTime 6 may be released.