DVB PROMOTES POOLING OF MHP PATENTS

THE DVB Project have announced that they will foster the formation of a patent pool for their Multimedia Home Platform (MHP) standard.
The objective is to create efficient access to the intellectual property rights necessary for the implementation worldwide of their MHP standard. A patent pool formed on a voluntary basis by holders of intellectual property rights and administered independently of the DVB Project can help fulfil this objective.
The pool will be a voluntary, agreed-upon, joint licensing arrangement for a portfolio of patent rights. It will enable a ‘one-stop-shop’ facility for those requiring licenses.
It is intended to result in widespread, non-discriminatory and reasonable licensing of patent rights for MHP technology. In addition to MHP, the announcement covers all the other specifications adopted by the DVB Project since its initial call for declarations in May 1997. As a first step, those holding IPRs essential to the MHP standard, or to the DVB standards listed in the annex, are invited to identify their IPRs to the DVB Project Office before 1 December 2001.
Theo Peek, Chairman of the Steering Board of the DVB Project, said: "Now that the MHP specification has been completed, we can turn to ensuring that the IPRs associated with that standard and our other standards are available efficiently and on terms which are fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory. As with the licensing scheme fostered by DVB and developed by the rights holders in the DVB-T specification, our effort will benefit industry and consumers alike, as it will accelerate the introduction of MHP implementation and DVB services throughout the world. In addition, the pool will meet the goals of IPR holders whose interest is to promote the widest distribution of DVB services and MHP equipment and applications. The mechanism to be developed within a pool formed voluntarily by IPR holders will provide an efficient means to license these IPRs."
The DVB is separately issuing a request for proposals for those companies and individuals that are interested in being engaged by the DVB to serve as the independent IPR assessor. (CD)