MPEG LA Announces Plan for Joint Patent License for DRM Technology
DRM Reference Model and Call for Essential DRM Patents Represent First Step
(Denver, Colorado, USA, 2 October 2003) MPEG LA, LLC, world leader in one-stop technology platform patent licensing, today issued a call for patents that are essential to digital rights management technology (DRM) as described in DRM Reference Model v 1.0. DRM refers to technologies for managing the authorized use of digital content. The purpose of the DRM Reference Model is to begin a process of evaluating and determining patents that are essential for DRM in order to provide users with convenient, fair, reasonable, nondiscriminatory access to a portfolio of essential worldwide patent rights under a single license. DRM products and services are emerging. By providing the foundation for a patent portfolio license, the DRM Model will offer the marketplace the ability to make available these new and innovative products and services whose development and deployment might otherwise be inhibited. A patent portfolio license will accelerate market development by providing ready access to the essential technology; it also will be of assistance to DRM standards initiatives. A summary of the MPEG LA plan is in Attachment 1.
Joint Patent License for H.264/MPEG-4 AVC Continues to Advance
MPEG LA and Essential Intellectual Property Owners to Meet Twice in September
(Denver, Colorado, USA - 11 September 2003) MPEG LA and essential H.264/MPEG-4 AVC patent and patent application holders met again on July 31-August 1 in New York City. Progress continues to be made on the framework of a joint patent license, and the group remains committed to reaching agreement on joint license terms during the fourth quarter 2003. The group will meet by telephone in mid-September and again in Tokyo on September 30-October 1.
Development of Joint Patent License for H.264/MPEG-4 AVC Makes Progress
Meeting of Essential Patent Holders Convened by MPEG LA Puts License on Fast Track
(Denver, Colorado, USA - 7 July 2003) MPEG LA convened a meeting of essential H.264/MPEG-4 AVC patent and patent application holders in Washington, DC on June 23 and June 24 to begin the process of determining joint licensing terms. Parties with patents or patent applications determined by MPEG LA’s patent experts to be essential to the H.264/AVC standard (“standard”) were invited to participate.
First Meeting of H.264/MPEG-4 AVC Essential Patent Holders to be Held June 23-24
MPEG LA Also Welcomes the Submission of Essential Patent Applications
(Denver, Colorado, US - 13 June 2003) - MPEG LA today announced that it will convene the first meeting of essential H.264/MPEG-4 AVC patent holders on June 23-24, 2003, to begin the process of determining joint licensing terms and the selection of a licensing administrator in order to make this technology easily accessible to all users. Patents were submitted by 18 parties for a determination of essentiality to the H.264/MPEG-4 AVC standard [ITU-T Recommendation H.264 (H.264), Geneva May 2003, and Final Draft International Standard of ISO/IEC 14496-10 (MPEG-4 Part 10 or AVC), Pattaya March 2003], and independent patent experts have determined that at least 16 own essential patents, with evaluations still under way.
MPEG LA to Hold MPEG-4 License Information Session at Hyatt Regency O’Hare on March 27
(Denver, Colorado, US – 14 March 2003) – On Thursday March 27, 2003, MPEG LA will hold a public information session for all interested parties on the MPEG-4 Visual and Systems Patent Portfolio Licenses at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare (O’Hare International Airport, Rosemont, IL, http://ohare.hyatt.com/property/index.jhtml).
MPEG LA to Hold MPEG-4 License Information Meeting at Crowne Plaza Amsterdam City Centre on 19 March
(Denver, Colorado, US – 5 March 2003) – On Wednesday 19 March 2003, MPEG LA will hold a public information meeting concerning the MPEG-4 Visual and Systems Patent Portfolio Licenses in Amsterdam, The Netherlands at the Crowne Plaza Amsterdam City Centre (www.amsterdam-citycentre.crowneplaza.com)
MPEG LA to Hold MPEG-4 License Information Meeting at Shilla Seoul on 12 February
(Denver, Colorado, US – 5 February 2003) – On Wednesday 12 February 2003, MPEG LA will hold a public information meeting concerning the MPEG-4 Visual and Systems Patent Portfolio Licenses in the Ruby Room of the Shilla Seoul.
MPEG LA Releases MPEG-4 Systems Patent Portfolio License
(Denver, Colorado, US – 4 February 2003) – MPEG LA today announced the availability of the MPEG-4 Systems Patent Portfolio License.
MPEG LA to Hold MPEG-4 License Information Meeting at Hotel Okura Tokyo on 10 February
(Denver, Colorado, US – 30 January 2003) – On Monday 10 February 2003, MPEG LA will hold a public information meeting concerning the MPEG-4 Visual and Systems Patent Portfolio Licenses in the Maple Room of the Hotel Okura Tokyo.
MPEG LA Extends Call for Initial Submission of Essential H.264/MPEG-4 AVC Patents
Initial Submissions Now Requested By April 4, 2003
(Denver, Colorado, US – 24 January 2003) – MPEG LA, LLC today announced that it has extended until April 4, 2003, the initial period during which patent holders who believe they own patents that are essential to the proposed JVT/AVC Standard may submit them for an evaluation of essentiality by independent patent experts for the purpose of forming a joint AVC Patent Portfolio License.
MPEG LA Releases MPEG-4 Visual Patent Portfolio License
(Denver, Colorado, US – 25 November 2002) – MPEG LA today announced the availability of the MPEG-4 Visual Patent Portfolio License. Copies of the License may be obtained at www.mpegla.com, “MPEG-4 Visual,” “The License Agreement,” by telephone +1-301-986-6660 ext. 208 or email mpeters@mpegla.com. For more information, see “MPEG-4 Visual” at www.mpegla.com.
MPEG LA Extends Call for Initial Submission of Essential H.264/MPEG-4 AVC Patents
Initial Submissions Requested By January 31, 2003
(Denver, Colorado, US – 29 October 2002) – MPEG LA, LLC today announced that it has extended until January 31, 2003, the initial period during which patent holders who believe they own patents that are essential to the proposed JVT/AVC Standard may submit them for an evaluation of essentiality by independent patent experts for the purpose of forming a joint AVC Patent Portfolio License. MPEG LA first announced an initial call for patent submissions in a news release dated 11 September 2002 [see MPEG LA Extends Call for Initial Submission of Essential H.264/MPEG-4 AVC Patents
].
MPEG LA Announces Plan for Licensing of Essential H.264 JVT/MPEG-4 AVC Patents
Call for Submission of Patents for Evaluation by Independent Patent Experts is First Step
(Denver, Colorado, US - 11 September 2002) – MPEG LA, LLC makes the following worldwide announcement of a plan aimed at providing fair, reasonable, nondiscriminatory worldwide access under a single license to patents that are essential for implementing the digital video compression standard to be known as ITU-T H.264 and ISO/IEC 14496-10 (“Proposed JVT/AVC Standard”). The first step in the plan calls for those with patents that they believe are essential to the Proposed JVT/AVC Standard (as more specifically described below) to submit them for an evaluation of essentiality by independent patent experts.
Final Terms of MPEG-4 Visual and Systems Patent Portfolio Licenses Decided
License Agreements to Issue in September
(Denver, Colorado, US – 15 July 2002) – MPEG LA and patent holders to the MPEG-4 Visual Patent Portfolio License, MPEG-4 Systems (without MPEG-J) Patent Portfolio License and MPEG-J Patent Portfolio License reached agreement on final licensing terms following their meetings in San Francisco on June 25 – 26, 2002. In the interest of one-stop convenience, users will be offered the opportunity to sign up for a license under patents that are essential for any or all of these standards. The official licenses are scheduled to issue in September.
MPEG-4 Visual Essential Patent Holders Meet to Discuss Licensing Terms
(Denver, Colorado, US – 24 April 2002) – MPEG LA and patent holders to the proposed MPEG-4 Visual Patent Portfolio License met on April 18 and 19 in New York City. They continue to discuss licensing terms and consider the constructive views, interests and concerns of prospective licensees.
Statement Concerning MPEG-4 Visual Patent Portfolio License
(Denver, Colorado, US – 28 March 2002) – MPEG LA, LLC today issued the following statement regarding the status of the MPEG-4 Visual Patent Portfolio License: On January 31, 2002, MPEG LA announced that it will offer fair, reasonable, nondiscriminatory access to patents (owned by 18 companies) that are essential to the MPEG-4 Visual (Simple and Core) digital compression standard under a single license to be known as the MPEG-4 Visual Patent Portfolio License and provided an initial overview of the proposed license terms. The actual license agreement is still in development, however, and all terms are subject to change.
Terms of MPEG-4 Visual Patent Portfolio License Announced
(Denver, Colorado, US - 31 January 2002) - MPEG LA, LLC today announced that it will offer fair, reasonable, nondiscriminatory, worldwide access to patents that are essential to the MPEG-4 Visual (Simple and Core) digital compression standard under a single license to be known as the MPEG-4 (Visual) Patent Portfolio License ("License").
MPEG LA Announces M4IF Plan for Joint Licensing of Essential MPEG-4 Patents
(Denver, Colorado, US-14 November 2001) - The MPEG-4 Industry Forum (M4IF) has recommended that MPEG LA, LLC make the following worldwide announcement:
In furtherance of its plan aimed at providing fair, reasonable, nondiscriminatory worldwide access under one license to patents that are essential for implementing the international MPEG-4 Visual Standard, the MPEG-4 Industry Forum (M4IF) has recommended that MPEG LA, LLC, in its role as Evaluation Administrator, call for the submission of patents for evaluation of their essentiality to additional MPEG-4 Visual Standard profiles, specifically Simple Scalable, Advanced Simple, and Fine Granularity Scalable.
MPEG-4 Visual Essential Patent Holders Report Substantial Progress Toward a Joint License
(Denver, Colorado, US - 3 July 2001) - MPEG LA, LLC, which operates as facilitator for an initial group of 19 essential patent holders calling itself the M4VisualPHG, reports that substantial progress was made toward the creation of a joint MPEG-4 Visual (Simple and Core profiles) patent license at the group's meeting in San Jose, California on June 19 and 20.
DVB-T Joint Patent Licensing Program to Begin
(Denver, CO US-July 3, 2001) MPEG LA today announced the commencement of a new licensing program, DVB LASM, for the joint licensing of patents essential to the terrestrial digital television standard known as DVB-T.
MPEG LA® Announces M4IF Plan for Licensing of Essential MPEG-4 Systems Patents
This article may be found here .
"MPEG LA® Announces M4IF Plan for Joint Licensing of Essential MPEG-4 Patents"
This article may be found here .
"MPEG LA® Hails 200th Licensee; Digital Video Set-Top Box and Consumer Electronics Products Covered Worldwide"
This article by Business Wire's Business Editors, Technology Writers may be found here .
Piggybacking on the creation of a successful patent pool for MPEG-2 video and its oversight by a licensing body,
a spinoff of the MPEG LA® licensing group, called 1394la, has taken on a similar challenge of implementing a joint licensing program for patents essential to the IEEE 1394 digital interface.
The entire article, "Group formed to oversee 1394 patent licensing" by Junko Yoshida may be found here .
An article appearing June 30, 1997 in The New York Times (by Sabra Chartrand) reports
the Federal Justice Department's allowance of a consortium of eight companies and one university to unify administration of 27 MPEG-2 patents.
According to Bill Brooks, spokesman for the Justice Department, "It's the first statement we have made on patent pooling. . . definitely a first in recent history, and likely a first on patent pooling."
An article appearing July 14, 1997 in Multimedia Week reports
DVD manufacturers will have to pay MPEG-2 royalties if patent pool's claims set forth by the MPEG licensing Administrator LLC (LA) are enforced by any of the companies participating in the patent pool.
Ken Rubenstein, lead attorney for MPEG LA®, said the company would not take legal action against manufacturers who "choose not to take a license" but acknowledge that individual patent holders might. "We're not going to sue anybody for patent infringements if they don't pay," he said. "Companies will have to decide if they want to go unlicensed and take the risk inherent in that. MPEG LA® as an individual entity won't be that heavy." MPEG LA represents Columbia University and nine companies laying claim to 29 essential patents covering MPEG-2 video. Rubenstein said those companies hold about 80 percent of the essential MPEG-2 patents but acknowledge that other patents might be added to the pool at a later date. He said Lucent Technologies Inc. (LU) is considering joining the patent pool. MPEG LA® hopes to get Toshiba and Samsung on board as well, bringing the total number of patents in the pool to 33.
An article appearing July 7, 1997 in Consumer Electronics reported the Justice Department (DOJ) gave antitrust clearance to one-stop shopping patent MPEG-2 licensing pool proposed by a group of 8 companies and Columbia University.
The
patents will be licensed in a single package, administered by the US-based agency MPEG LA®. Besides Columbia, patent pool participants include Fujitsu, General Instrument, Lucent Technologies, Matsushita, Mitsubishi, Philips, Scientific-Atlanta, Sony. A DOJ spokesman said using an independent expert "will help ensure that the portfolio will contain only patents that are truly essential to the MPEG-2 standard, weeding out patents that are competitive alternatives to each other."