INTRODUCTION

MPEG LA's MPEG-2 Patent Portfolio License provides fair, reasonable, nondiscriminatory access to essential MPEG-2 Video and Systems patents owned by many patent holders as an alternative to negotiating separate licenses.

The License includes essential patents owned by Alcatel Lucent; British Telecommunications plc; Canon Inc.; CIF Licensing, LLC; Columbia University; France Télécom R&D**; Fujitsu; GE Technology Development, Inc.; General Instrument Corporation*; Hitachi, Ltd.; KDDI Corporation; LG Electronics; Mitsubishi; Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT); Panasonic Corporation; Philips; Robert Bosch GmbH***; Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.; SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.; Scientific-Atlanta; Sharp Corporation; Sony; Thomson Licensing; Toshiba Corporation; and Victor Company of Japan, Limited (JVC). MPEG LA's goal is to provide worldwide access to as much MPEG-2 essential intellectual property as possible; new Licensors and essential patents may be added at no additional royalty during the current term.

Wide acceptance of the MPEG-2 Patent Portfolio License is responsible for the worldwide utility of MPEG-2 technology. The Program's Licensees make most MPEG-2 set-top box, professional (e.g., encoders, file servers and multiplexers) consumer electronics (including DVD player and television receiver/decoder), personal computer and packaged medium products in the current world market.