Licensing scheme accesses MHP 1.0 patents

Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team Mar 6, 2006

Via Licensing Corporation has published its licensing terms for patents essential to the Digital Video Broadcasting MHP 1.0 standard.

Via Licensing Corporation has published its licensing terms for patents essential to the Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) Multimedia Home Platform 1.0 standard (MHP 1.0) including terms for MHP services provided by non-subscription-based broadcasters (free-to-air broadcasters).

Holders of patents essential to the MHP standard that are participating in the formation of the joint-licensing programme for MHP include Comcast, Open TV, Panasonic (Matsushita Electric Industrial Co), Royal Philips Electronics, Samsung Electronics, Thomson and Time Warner Cable.

Via Licensing is acting as the licensing administrator for the pool.

As the purpose of the pool is to promote wide adoption of MHP by the market, licence fees for MHP services broadcasted free-to-air will not be charged by the MHP patent pool before 1st January 2009.

At the end of this incentive period, the licence fees for MHP services provided by free-to-air broadcasters will be assessed on a per-broadcaster basis, and will vary depending on the total number of households within the reach of the MHP services.

This fee structure simplifies reporting activities for licensees while distinguishing between those free-to-air broadcasters that offer for-fee services and those that do not.

Details of the fees can be found on the Via Licensing website.

MHP essential patent holders participating in the joint-licensing program and Via Licensing is continuing work on the development of agreements with a view towards offering MHP licences by the end of summer 2006.

Via Licensing continues to welcome the addition of third parties that hold patents essential to the practice of MHP 1.0.

The marketplace benefits from the participation of as many patent owners as possible, through the inclusion of more intellectual property in the licence and by the contribution of more parties in development of the terms of the licensing programme.

Parties holding other patents they believe are necessary for the practice of the MHP 1.0 standard should contact Via Licensing.