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Blu-ray Patent Licensing Program Announced by Four Companies

2010-03-08 14:31
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TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Four leading companies — Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Thomson Licensing, Toshiba Corporation and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (collectively, the "BD4C Licensing Group") — today announced that they have commenced a worldwide joint licensing program beginning on March 1, 2010 for Blu-ray ("BD") and DVD patents essential for BD decoders, BD encoders, BD players, BD read-only discs, BD recordable discs, BD drives, BD/DVD hybrid discs and BD recorders ("BD Products"), including BD Products that incorporate DVD functionality.

The potential licensees will benefit from one-stop shopping for the essential patents owned or controlled by the four companies, which will facilitate the development of the BD market.

The license portfolio consists of BD and DVD patents, owned or controlled by the four companies, that are essential for BD Products. Licenses for the portfolio will be available for products that comply with the specifications for the BD formats promulgated by the Blu-ray Disc Association.

Interested parties are also free to negotiate separate license agreements, rather than taking a single portfolio license, with each of the four companies, which have committed to provide such licenses for their respective essential patents under fair, reasonable and nondiscriminatory terms and conditions.

The companies have authorized Toshiba to act as licensor for the BD4C Licensing Group in licensing their essential BD patents for this joint licensing program.

Royalties under the terms of the portfolio license will be as follows:

 
Category   Royalty
BD-Video Disc   US$0.04 per disc
BD-ROM Disc   US$0.04 per disc
BD-R Disc   US$0.065 per disc
BD-RE Disc   US$0.09 per disc

BD/DVD Hybrid Disc
(including BD/DVD Hybrid
ROM Discs and BD/DVD
Hybrid Video Discs)

  US$0.08 per disc
BD Decoder  

US$1.00 per decoder, with an annual cap of
US$10,000,000

BD Encoder  

US$1.50 per encoder, with an annual cap of
US$15,000,000

BD-Video Player   US$4.50 per player
BD-Video Combo Player   US$6.00 per player
BD Video Recorder   US$7.00 per recorder
BD-Video Combo Recorder   US$6.00 per recorder
BD-ROM Drive   US$4.00 per drive
BD Recordable Disc Drive   US$6.00 per drive
BD-ROM Combo Drive   US$5.00 per drive

BD Combo Recordable Disc
Drive

  US$5.00 per drive
 

Please note that the BD4C Licensing Group reserves the right to adjust the rates as necessary to encourage the broad participation in the program by interested companies with essential patents.

For further information, please contact one of the following regional licensing representatives:

In North and South America, Asia (including Japan), Oceania and the Middle East:

Toshihiro Shinohara
General Manager
Licensing
Toshiba DVD License Services, Inc.
5th Floor, Sumitomo-Hamamatsucho Bldg.
18-16, Hamamatsucho 1-chome, Minato-ku
Tokyo 105-0013, Japan
Phone: +81-3-5777-3286
Fax: +81-3-5401-2503

E-mail: bd-aj@toshiba-tdls.co.jp

 

In Europe and Africa:

Alfred Chaouat
Senior Vice President Licensing
Thomson Licensing
1, rue Jeanne d'Arc
92443 Issy-les-Moulineaux Cedex, France
Phone : +33-1-4186-5284
Fax : + 33-1-4186-5637

E-mail : alfred.chaouat@technicolor.com

Information in the press releases, including product prices and specifications, content of services and contact information, is current on the date of the press announcement, but is subject to change without prior notice.

Contacts

Press contact:
Toshiba Corporation
Yuko Sugahara, +81-(3)3457-2105
Corporate Communications Office
International Media Relations Group
http://www.toshiba.co.jp/contact/media.htm
or
Business Contact:
In North and South America, Asia (including Japan), Oceania and the Middle East:
Toshiba DVD License Services, Inc.
Toshihiro Shinohara, +81-3-5777-3286
General Manager
Licensing
5th Floor, Sumitomo-Hamamatsucho Bldg.
18-16, Hamamatsucho 1-chome, Minato-ku
Tokyo 105-0013, Japan
Fax: +81-3-5401-2503
E-mail: bd-aj@toshiba-tdls.co.jp
or
In Europe and Africa:
Thomson Licensing
Alfred Chaouat, +33-1-4186-5284
Senior Vice President Licensing
1, rue Jeanne d'Arc
92443 Issy-les-Moulineaux Cedex, France
Fax : + 33-1-4186-5637
E-mail : alfred.chaouat@technicolor.com