diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 4e778af8..2acd472c 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ UTIL_FILES   =		\
     fletcher.hpp	\
     float.cpp		\
     float.hpp		\
+    fourcc.cpp		\
+    fourcc.hpp		\
     fwd.hpp		\
     guid.cpp		\
     guid.hpp		\
diff --git a/fourcc.cpp b/fourcc.cpp
index 485a8182..2c96646a 100644
--- a/fourcc.cpp
+++ b/fourcc.cpp
@@ -19,6 +19,12 @@
 
 #include "fourcc.hpp"
 
+using util::fourcc;
+using std::ostream;
+
+
+static_assert (sizeof(fourcc) == 4, "fourcc must be a 4 byte POD");
+
 
 fourcc
 fourcc::from_chars (uint8_t a, uint8_t b, uint8_t c, uint8_t d) {
@@ -34,7 +40,7 @@ fourcc::from_chars (uint8_t a, uint8_t b, uint8_t c, uint8_t d) {
 
 
 fourcc
-fourcc::from_str (const char data[4]) {
+fourcc::from_string (const char data[4]) {
     fourcc lhs;
 
     lhs.data[0] = (uint8_t)data[0];
diff --git a/fourcc.hpp b/fourcc.hpp
index ed8eef1b..356e6dc2 100644
--- a/fourcc.hpp
+++ b/fourcc.hpp
@@ -23,16 +23,18 @@
 #include <iostream>
 #include <cstdint>
 
-struct fourcc {
-    uint8_t data[4];
+namespace util {
+    struct fourcc {
+        uint8_t data[4];
 
-    static fourcc from_str(const char[4]);
-    static fourcc from_chars(uint8_t, uint8_t, uint8_t, uint8_t);
+        static fourcc from_string(const char[4]);
+        static fourcc from_chars(uint8_t, uint8_t, uint8_t, uint8_t);
 
-    bool operator== (const char[4]) const;
-    operator uint32_t (void) const;
-};
+        bool operator== (const char[4]) const;
+        operator uint32_t (void) const;
+    };
+}
 
-std::ostream& operator<< (std::ostream&, fourcc);
+std::ostream& operator<< (std::ostream&, util::fourcc);
 
 #endif