S2 Licensing Formally Launches DVB-S2 Patent Licensing Campaign
Monday August 25, 7:00 am ET
DVB-S2 Patent License Offered Under Essential DVB-S2 Patents Owned by DTVG Licensing, Inc. and RAI (Radiotelevisione Italiana); European Space Agency (ESA) Expected to Join Initiative Soon
EL SEGUNDO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--S2 Licensing announced today the launch of a licensing campaign under the combined patent rights in DVB S2 standardized technology held by DTVG Licensing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of The DIRECTV Group, Inc. and the owner by assignment of DIRECTV's essential DVB-S2 patents, and RAI. ESA is in the late stages of agreeing to the initiative and is expected to contribute its DVB-S2 patent rights to those of DIRECTV and RAI, at no additional cost to licensees, later in 2008.
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DVB-S2 (Digital Video Broadcasting - Satellite, 2nd Generation) is the second generation DVB system for broadband satellite communications, covering digital TV and HDTV broadcasting, interactive services, and professional links by satellite. DVB-S2 enables delivery of a significantly higher data rate (e.g. 30%) in a given transponder bandwidth than the previous DVB-S standard.
For the convenience of adopters, the license under the combined portfolios (currently representing over twenty patent families) is now available to all parties practicing or planning to practice the DVB-S2 standard, and provides favorable terms to speed adoption of the DVB-S2 standard. For consumer applications, such as satellite television set-top box receivers, a license under the combined portfolios is available for a one-time royalty of US$0.50 for each encoder or decoder present in a product for quantities exceeding 500,000 over the term of the license, and US$1.00 per encoder or decoder in lower quantities. Terms for other applications, such as digital satellite news gathering, data trunking, and up-link station modulation, are offered at reasonable and non-discriminatory terms, available upon request.
Attractive financial incentives are available for parties who enter into the license agreement prior to December 31, 2008. Parties interested in more information or in securing a license are invited to contact John T. Whelan, Esq., CLP (jwhelan@s2licensing.com), or visit our website at
www.s2licensing.com. Appointments with interested parties are also being scheduled in association with IBC2008 (Amsterdam, 12-15 September 2008). Please contact us to schedule a meeting.
About DTVG Licensing, Inc.
DTVG Licensing, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (NASDAQ
TV - News) and is the owner by assignment of several families of patents essential to practice the DVB-S2 Standard. The DIRECTV Group is a world-leading provider of digital television entertainment services. Through its subsidiaries and affiliated companies in the United States, Brazil, Mexico and other countries in Latin America, the DIRECTV Group provides digital television service to more than 17.1 million customers in the United States and over 5.1 million customers in Latin America.
About RAI
RAI (Radiotelevisione Italiana) is the Italian Public Broadcaster for radio and television over the air, via satellite and cable or any other means. It provides programme production and network operation for three national analogue television channels broadcast in VHF/UHF bands. These programmes are re-broadcast in digital format by satellite and in two terrestrial bouquets, including a growing number of thematic channels in clear. It provides also production and network operation for three radio channels, broadcast in MW and FM, and of international radio programmes in SW.
About ESA
European Space Agency (ESA) is an international organisation, with 17 Member States, set up to provide for and to promote, for exclusively peaceful purposes, cooperation among European states in space research and technology and their space applications. ESA draws up a European space plan and has the task of carrying it out. Its activities span the fields of space science, Earth observation, telecommunications, satellite navigation, human spaceflight, microgravity research, exploration and space transportation systems. ESA has its headquarters in Paris, France, with establishments in The Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Spain, a launch base in Kourou, French Guiana, and offices in Washington, Moscow and Brussels.
Contact:
DIRECTV, Inc.
Robert Mercer, 310-964-4683 (Media)
or
License Inquiries:
John T. Whelan
jwhelan@s2licensing.com