March 28,
2005
Via Licensing
Announces Availability of Digital Radio Mondiale
Patent License
Via Licensing
Corporation launches new patent pool with broad
coverage
of both audio and modem patents essential to
the
Digital Radio Mondiale standard
San Francisco, March
28, 2005—Via Licensing Corporation, in
association with the Digital Radio Mondiale
Licensing Committee, today announced the commencement
of the Digital Radio Mondiale patent licensing
program.
Digital Radio Mondiale
(DRM) is the only digital transmission system
for short-, medium-, and long-wave bands with
the ability to use existing frequencies across
the globe. The DRM system provides clear, near-FM
quality sound that represents a dramatic improvement
over analog transmissions and has the additional
capacity to integrate data and text. DRM holds
the promise of revitalizing broadcasting bands
below 30 MHz and achieving widespread use around
the world.
The DRM patent pool
brings together the essential DRM patents of
multiple companies, making it straightforward
and convenient for product manufacturers to
acquire the rights from all of these licensors
in a single transaction. The existence of a
patent-pool licensing program providing access
to a standard set of terms offered on a reasonable
and nondiscriminatory basis ensures a level
playing field on which a competitive market
can develop for manufacturing and selling DRM-based
products.
The DRM patent pool
includes patents essential to both the audio-coding
and radio-transmission aspects of the DRM standard.
Manufacturers and developers of professional
encoding or transmission/monitoring products,
as well as manufacturers of consumer receiver
products, will benefit from the availability
of this license.
Companies that have
been working with Via Licensing to bring the
DRM patent-pool license to market include AT&T
Corp., Coding Technologies, Dolby Laboratories,
France Telecom, Fraunhofer IIS, NEC Corporation,
Philips Electronics, Robert Bosch GmbH, Sony
Corporation, TDF, T-Systems International GmbH,
Thales, and VoiceAge Corporation.
Ramzi Haidamus,
president of Via Licensing Corporation, said,
"It is truly gratifying to see the collective
effort of all the dedicated licensors bear fruit.
The successful launch of a joint commercialization
program for essential DRM patents is a reflection
of the constructive, collaborative spirit that
has always been a welcome ingredient in the
culture of the DRM Consortium and the related
essential patent holders. Via Licensing is very
pleased to be in a position to offer this license
at the right time to facilitate the orderly
launch of Digital Radio Mondiale receivers from
multiple vendors targeting consumers worldwide."
The patent licensing
fees for DRM products are presented on the Via
Licensing website at www.vialicensing.com/products/drm/license_fees.html.
About
Via Licensing Corporation
Via Licensing Corporation develops and administers
patent licensing programs or patent pools on
behalf of innovative technology companies and
for the convenience of licensees. Via Licensing
Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of
Dolby Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE: DLB) and benefits
from the expertise, infrastructure, and strategic
business relationships that Dolby has developed
in more than 35 years of licensing into the
consumer electronics and personal computing
markets. Via Licensing is involved in the development
and operation of licensing programs for both
mandated and de facto or emerging standards.
For more information about Via Licensing Corporation,
please visit http://www.vialicensing.com/
Media Contact:
Adam Anderson
415-645-5176
adam.a@vialicensing.com
