Patent pool unveils terms for UHD TV receivers and services

Japan-based patent licensing pool ULDAGE has announced terms and begun licensing patents that it says are essential for UHD TV satellite broadcast.

The pool comprises 16 companies and other entities with patents that the Japan Intellectual Property Arbitration Centre holds to be essential to meeting UHD TV satellite broadcasting standards.

The group comprises Dolby Laboratories, Fujitsu, Hitachi Maxell, JVC Kenwood Corporation, LG Electronics., Masproh Denkoh, Mitsubishi Electric, NEC, NHK, Orange, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony, Columbia University, Thomson and Toshiba.

ULDAGE currently licenses patents for high-definition terrestrial digital broadcasting, high definition satellite digital broadcasting, and high definition digital cable broadcasting.

Broadcasters are receiver manufacturers will now receive a licence for a bundle of UHD TV patents at what ULDAGE describes as “very reasonable conditions”. Makers of narrowband CS UHD TV receivers will pay ¥100 per unit, while wideband UHD TV receiver manufacturers will pay ¥200.

A combined licence for both narrowband CS UHD TV units and wideband units will cost ¥300.

For UHD TV satellite broadcasting services, royalties will be charged as a rate of 1% of revenues.

According to the group, the terms will take into account the development of the market going forward.

The group plans to hold discussions about the licensing terms and conditions for cable and terrestrial UHD TV broadcasting “once the holders of those patents have been determined”.