Cable Technology Feature Article
August 11, 2008
ULDAGE Announces Joint Patent License for Digital Cable Broadcasting Standards
By Anuradha Shukla, TMCnet Contributor
The Patent Pool License for Digital Cable Broadcasting Standards will be available in October, 2008, announced ULDAGE.
The company said that the license includes essential patents owned by at least 13 companies including Kenwood Corporation, France Telecom (News - Alert)/Telediffusion de France, Hitachi, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Nippon Hoso Kyokai (NHK), Pioneer Corporation, Sanyo Electric Co., Sharp Corporation, Sony Corporation, Thomson (News - Alert) Licensing S.A., Toshiba Corporation, and Victor Company of Japan.
ULDAGE is keen on welcoming additional holders of essential patents and hopes that this patent license program will expand further.
These 13 companies have been discussing since May 2008 and finally agreed on the following terms of license for launching the license program. In case of receiving devices, the royalties relating to digital cable broadcasting are JPY100 per unit for digital terrestrial trans-modulation receiving devices. The royalties are JPY150 per unit for digital terrestrial pass-through/trans-modulation receiving devices.
The company’s officials further explain that the patent issues have become more complicated due to the technology transition from analog to digital. They expect that the Digital Cable Broadcasting Standards License will simplify it by licensing as a package multiple essential patents held by multiple patent holders under fair and reasonable conditions. The company adds that companies engaged in the business of digital cable broadcasting will benefit from the establishment of this license scheme as it will help ensure a stable business environment for them.
Located in the Imperial Tower, 1-1-1 Uchisaiwai-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan, ULDAGE is a joint venture company established for the purpose of promoting and administering joint license programs. The company will provide royalty operation service, license administration service and market research service required for administration of joint license programs.
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Anuradha Shukla is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Anuradha’s article, please visit her columnist page.
