Patent pool open for digital TV receivers in Japan
TOKYO — A group of Japanese consumer companies has launched a one-stop patent-licensing program for digital TV receivers that aims to simplify licensing procedures.
Uldage Inc., established by Matsushita Electric, Mitsubishi Electric and Sony last August, has made available a program called the Patent Pool License for Arib Standards. The Association of Radio Industries and Business (Arib) is a standards-making body in Japan that defined Japan's digital TV broadcasting standards.
Ten companies responded to Uldage's patent call last year. To date, the program includes patents owned by France Telecom, Telediffusion de France, Hitachi, Matsushita Electric, Mitsubishi, Japan Broadcasting, Sanyo, Sharp, Sony, Toshiba and Victor Company of Japan.
Under Uldage's program, manufacturers or distributors of digital broadcasting devices can license major patents for digital TV tuners at a relatively low cost. The royalty for TV sets with tuners that can receive both satellite and terrestrial broadcasts is about $1.65 per unit. Patent fees for TV sets with tuners that can receive digital terrestrial broadcasts are only about 82 cents per unit. One Seg, Japan's terrestrial digital TV broadcasting service dedicated to mobile equipment, charges about 41 cents per unit.
An independent patent organization, the Japan Intellectual Property Arbitration Center, evaluated the validity of the patents submitted by the 10 companies.
"At present, we have not covered all the patents, but will continue inviting participants to achieve full coverage," said Yoshihide Nakamura, president and CEO of Uldage.
Uldage's patent pool is designed to concentrate on patents for communications and transmission technologies and electronic program guides. It excludes technologies covered by existing patent-licensing companies like MPEG LA.
Uldage Inc., established by Matsushita Electric, Mitsubishi Electric and Sony last August, has made available a program called the Patent Pool License for Arib Standards. The Association of Radio Industries and Business (Arib) is a standards-making body in Japan that defined Japan's digital TV broadcasting standards.
Ten companies responded to Uldage's patent call last year. To date, the program includes patents owned by France Telecom, Telediffusion de France, Hitachi, Matsushita Electric, Mitsubishi, Japan Broadcasting, Sanyo, Sharp, Sony, Toshiba and Victor Company of Japan.
Under Uldage's program, manufacturers or distributors of digital broadcasting devices can license major patents for digital TV tuners at a relatively low cost. The royalty for TV sets with tuners that can receive both satellite and terrestrial broadcasts is about $1.65 per unit. Patent fees for TV sets with tuners that can receive digital terrestrial broadcasts are only about 82 cents per unit. One Seg, Japan's terrestrial digital TV broadcasting service dedicated to mobile equipment, charges about 41 cents per unit.
An independent patent organization, the Japan Intellectual Property Arbitration Center, evaluated the validity of the patents submitted by the 10 companies.
"At present, we have not covered all the patents, but will continue inviting participants to achieve full coverage," said Yoshihide Nakamura, president and CEO of Uldage.
Uldage's patent pool is designed to concentrate on patents for communications and transmission technologies and electronic program guides. It excludes technologies covered by existing patent-licensing companies like MPEG LA.
posted by James at 1:04 PM
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