Seven DVD Video Disc Replicators Sign MPEG-2 Licenses in Conclusion of Patent Infringement Actions

MPEG LA, LLC, world leader in alternative one-stop patent licenses, today announced that seven DVD Video disc replicators have become Licensees to MPEG LA’s MPEG-2 Patent Portfolio License in conclusion of patent enforcement actions brought by MPEG-2 patent owners in the District Court Düsseldorf, Germany.

The seven DVD disc manufacturers include CDA Datenträger Albrechts GmbH of Germany, East European Authoring and Encoding Centre Ltd. of Bulgaria, GEMA OD S.A. of Spain, GZ Digital Media a.s. of the Czech Republic, MAF Diskettes SrL of Italy, Megaus Sp. z.o.o. of Poland, and The Video Duplicating Co. Ltd. (VDC) of the United Kingdom.

“We are pleased to welcome these seven DVD Video disc replicators as Licensees to the MPEG-2 Patent Portfolio License,” said Larry Horn, CEO of MPEG LA. “They join more than 1,300 other companies as Licensees, including the world’s leading DVD Video disc manufacturers responsible for most DVD Video discs produced in the current world market.”

Plaintiffs in the cases against the seven DVD Video disc replicators included CIF Licensing, LLC; GE Technology Development, Inc.; Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV; Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.; Mitsubishi Electric Corporation; Sony Corporation; Thomson Licensing S.A.; The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York; and Victor Company of Japan, Ltd.

Additional enforcement actions by MPEG-2 patent owners are pending in Germany against DVD Video disc replicators Dicentia Germany GmbH, Dicentia A/S and Odeon Cineplex (formerly Digital Press Hellas), and in Denmark against Dicentia A/S.

The MPEG-2 Standard is the core technology underlying the efficient creation, transmission, storage and display of digitized moving images and sound tracks on which DVD and other digital technologies are based; and the DVD-Video Standard (DVD Specifications for Read-Only Disc, Part 3: VIDEO SPECIFICATIONS) requires DVD Video discs to contain information formatted in accordance with the MPEG-2 Standard.

MPEG LA, LLC

MPEG LA is the world leader in alternative technology licenses, enabling users to acquire worldwide patent rights necessary for a technology standard or platform from multiple patent holders in a single transaction as an alternative to negotiating separate licenses. Wherever an independently administered one-stop patent license would provide a convenient marketplace alternative to assist users with implementation of their technology choices, the licensing model pioneered and employed by MPEG LA may provide a solution. Among MPEG LA’s licenses is one for MPEG-2 digital video compression that has helped produce the most widely employed standard in consumer electronics history. The MPEG-2 Patent Portfolio License, which includes more than 825 MPEG-2 essential patents in 57 countries, has approximately 1,300 licensees accounting for most MPEG-2 products including set-top boxes, DVD players, digital television sets, personal computers and DVD Video Discs in the current world market. MPEG LA is an independent licensing administrator; it is not related to any standards agency and is not an affiliate of any patent holder. For more information, please refer to http://www.mpegla.com.

Contacts

MPEG LA, LLC
Tom O’Reilly, 860-620-0642
Fax: 301-986-8575
toreilly {at} mpegla(.)com