- ULDAGE and Digital Terrestrial Broadcasters Agree on Execution of License Agreements -

ULDAGE Inc., the patent pool license administrator, is pleased to report that, up to March 28, the respective digital terrestrial broadcasters, namely, each of the 127 members of the Japan Commercial Broadcasters Association, Nippon Hoso Kyokai (NHK), and the Open University of Japan, and ULDAGE, after long-held negotiations, have executed license agreements for patents relating to digital terrestrial broadcasting.

Digital terrestrial broadcasting, which started in Japan in December 2003, is provided in conformity with the so-called ARIB Standards established through discussions among the participating members of the Association of Radio Industries and Businesses (ARIB). The standards  reflect technologies, suggestions, and ideas of numerous broadcasters, device manufacturers, and other concerned parties, and consequently, there is a wide variety of patent holders involved in such technologies, and a large number of patents are also involved.

Unless appropriate measures are taken to tackle this kind of complex patent issue, the standards themselves or the growth of digital terrestrial broadcasting business itself could be negatively affected.

ULDAGE was established in July 2006 in order to resolve such patent issues and promote the growth of the digital television broadcasting system by gathering various patents relating to digital television broadcasting in one place and then licensing them as a package through the so-called patent pooling method.

At present, ULDAGE has pooled approximately 500 patents held by 14 patent holders. Under the license program intended for receivers, which was implemented back in 2007, 161 licensee companies manufacture and sell such devices, and the program has contributed greatly to the establishment of the environment for the expansion of access to digital television in relation to the complete transition from analog broadcasting to digital broadcasting.

Digital television broadcasting cannot be realized unless both ends exist: the broadcasters which send signals that comply with the ARIB Standards and the television receivers which receive such signals.  Consequently, ULDAGE has long pursued negotiations with the representatives of the broadcasters to materialize the license program for digital broadcasting. The recent execution of license agreements with the broadcasters is groundbreaking in that the broadcasters will now reward the patent holders, namely, the developers of the relevant technologies, by directly bearing an appropriate proportion of royalties for the use of such technologies.

As a result, the broadcasters will be able to further their broadcasting businesses in a stable condition without any concern over the issue of digital terrestrial broadcasting-related patents pooled with ULDAGE.

About ULDAGE Inc.

ULDAGE Inc. was established in July 2006 for the purpose of providing tools for revitalizing business by creating a competitive environment through collaboration and resolution of patent issues in this complex digital age. ULDAGE Inc. undertakes its business by granting licenses for essential patents held by multiple parties in a single package (by the patent pooling method) which offers convenience to both patent holders and business operators.

Location: Imperial Tower, 1-1-1 Uchisaiwai-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Phone: +81-(0)3-3500-1572

FAX: +81-(0)3-3500-1573

President & CEO: Yoshihide Nakamura

Stated Capital: 60,000,000 yen

Shareholders (14.29% each):

  Sharp Corporation

  Sony Corporation

  Toshiba Corporation

  JVC KENWOOD Corporation

  Panasonic Corporation

  Hitachi Consumer Electronics Co., Ltd.

  Mitsubishi Electric Corporation