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 (CNET)**, Fujitsu, General Instrument Corp.*, GE Technology Development, Inc., Hitachi, Ltd., KDDI Corporation (KDDI), LG Electronics Inc., Matsushita, Mitsubishi, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT), Philips, Robert Bosch GmbH***, Samsung, Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd., Scientific-Atlanta, Sharp, Sony, Thomson Licensing, Toshiba, 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.



  *Up to and through date of last patent expiration (October 26, 2006)
 **Up to and through date of last patent expiration (May 31, 2007)
***Up to and through date of last patent expiration (December 11, 2007)