ULDAGE Releases Joint Patent License for Japanese Digital Cable Broadcasting Standards

TOKYO, Aug. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- ULDAGE Inc. announced today that the Patent Pool License for Digital Cable Broadcasting Standards is scheduled to be available in October, 2008. The License includes essential patents owned by at least following 13 companies.

Kenwood Corporation, France Telecom/Telediffusion de France, Hitachi, Ltd., Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Nippon Hoso Kyokai (NHK), Pioneer Corporation, Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd., Sharp Corporation, Sony Corporation, Thomson Licensing S.A., Toshiba Corporation, and Victor Company of Japan, Limited.

The discussion among those 13 companies took place since May 2008 and they agreed on the following terms of license for launching the license program. The royalties relating to digital cable broadcasting are, in case of receiving devices, JPY100 per unit for digital terrestrial trans-modulation receiving devices; JPY150 per unit for digital terrestrial pass-through/trans-modulation receiving devices.

Technology transition from analog to digital has made the patent issues more complicated. 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. ULDAGE Inc. believes that the establishment of this license scheme will help ensure a stable business environment to those engaged in the business of digital cable broadcasting.

ULDAGE Inc. welcomes having additional holders of essential patents and hopes that this patent license program will expand further.

About ULDAGE Inc.

ULDAGE Inc., located in the Imperial Tower, 1-1-1 Uchisaiwai-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan, is a joint venture company established for the purpose of promoting and administering joint license programs. ULDAGE Inc. will provide royalty operation service, license administration service and market research service necessary for administration of joint license programs.

Shareholders are Hitachi, Ltd., Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Sharp Corporation, Sony Corporation, Toshiba Corporation, and Victor Company of Japan, Limited.

    Contact:
    Yoshihide Nakamura (President and CEO)
    ULDAGE Inc.
    Phone: +81-3-3500-1572
    Fax: +81-3-3500-1573
    E-mail: information@uldage.com
    URL: http://www.uldage.com

SOURCE ULDAGE Inc.