Sisvel Announces Launch of DVB-T2 Patent Pool

Joint Licensing Program Offers Convenient Access to Essential Patents

AMSTERDAM — At IBC today, Sisvel announced the launch of a new joint patent licensing program, or patent pool, offering a license under patents essential to DVB-T2, the latest standard for digital terrestrial transmission with advanced modulation and coding techniques for highly efficient delivery of audio, video and data services. The program has been launched with a portfolio of essential DVB-T2 patents owned by British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), DTVG Licensing, France Telecom, Nokia, SIDSA, TDF (Telediffusion de France), and Telecom Bretagne. In addition, a number of other patent owners are expected to join the pool in the coming weeks.

The portfolio license offered by Sisvel includes the following per unit royalty rates for DVB-T2 television sets or set-top boxes:

Units per Year           Royalty Rate per Unit
--------------           ---------------------
1 to 2,000,000                           €1.00
2,000,001 to 4,000,000                   €0.90
4,000,001 and above                      €0.80

Detailed information regarding the terms and conditions of the portfolio license are available directly from Sisvel.

The portfolio license makes essential DVB-T2 patents more easily accessible and ensures that all users of this technology will benefit from the flexibility and practicality of the license terms available under this new program.

Nick Wells, chairman of the DVB-T2 Technical Working Group, and winner of the IEEE Consumer Electronics Society Engineering Excellence Award 2010, said “This new program will promote rapid adoption of the DVB-T2 standard by adding more transparency and predictability in the cost of IP licensing. It is remarkable that such a prominent group has been able to finalize and launch this program on the first anniversary of the publication of the standard by ETSI.” Giustino de Sanctis, Managing Director of Sisvel Germany, GmbH explained that “The availability of the portfolio license will give more certainty to countries and organizations that have already adopted the DVB-T2 standard, as well as to those considering its adoption.”

The joint DVB-T2 licensing program remains open to additional patent owners, and Sisvel invites all parties with patents believed to be essential to the DVB-T2 standard to contact Sisvel and submit those patent(s) for an evaluation of essentiality by the program’s designated, independent evaluator.