ULDAGE Releases Joint Patent License for Japanese Digital Cable Broadcasting Standards

TOKYO, Japan — 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 royalty relating to digital cable broadcasting is, in the 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.