Seven DVD Video Disc Replicators Sign MPEG-2 Licenses in Conclusion of Patent Infringement Actions

MPEG LA, LLC, world leader in alternative one-stop patent
licenses, today announced that seven DVD Video disc replicators have
become Licensees to MPEG LA´s MPEG-2 Patent Portfolio License in
conclusion of patent enforcement actions brought by MPEG-2 patent
owners in the District Court Dusseldorf, Germany.

The seven DVD disc manufacturers include CDA Datentrager Albrechts
GmbH of Germany, East European Authoring and Encoding Centre Ltd. of
Bulgaria, GEMA OD S.A. of Spain, GZ Digital Media a.s. of the Czech
Republic, MAF Diskettes SrL of Italy, Megaus Sp. z.o.o. of Poland, and
The Video Duplicating Co. Ltd. (VDC) of the United Kingdom.

"We are pleased to welcome these seven DVD Video disc replicators
as Licensees to the MPEG-2 Patent Portfolio License," said Larry Horn,
CEO of MPEG LA. "They join more than 1,300 other companies as
Licensees, including the world´s leading DVD Video disc manufacturers
responsible for most DVD Video discs produced in the current world
market."

Plaintiffs in the cases against the seven DVD Video disc
replicators included CIF Licensing, LLC; GE Technology Development,
Inc.; Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV; Matsushita Electric
Industrial Co., Ltd.; Mitsubishi Electric Corporation; Sony
Corporation; Thomson Licensing S.A.; The Trustees of Columbia
University in the City of New York; and Victor Company of Japan, Ltd.

Additional enforcement actions by MPEG-2 patent owners are pending
in Germany against DVD Video disc replicators Dicentia Germany GmbH,
Dicentia A/S and Odeon Cineplex (formerly Digital Press Hellas), and
in Denmark against Dicentia A/S.

The MPEG-2 Standard is the core technology underlying the
efficient creation, transmission, storage and display of digitized
moving images and sound tracks on which DVD and other digital
technologies are based; and the DVD-Video Standard (DVD Specifications
for Read-Only Disc, Part 3: VIDEO SPECIFICATIONS) requires DVD Video
discs to contain information formatted in accordance with the MPEG-2
Standard.

MPEG LA, LLC

MPEG LA is the world leader in alternative technology licenses,
enabling users to acquire worldwide patent rights necessary for a
technology standard or platform from multiple patent holders in a
single transaction as an alternative to negotiating separate licenses.
Wherever an independently administered one-stop patent license would
provide a convenient marketplace alternative to assist users with
implementation of their technology choices, the licensing model
pioneered and employed by MPEG LA may provide a solution. Among MPEG
LA´s licenses is one for MPEG-2 digital video compression that has
helped produce the most widely employed standard in consumer
electronics history. The MPEG-2 Patent Portfolio License, which
includes more than 825 MPEG-2 essential patents in 57 countries, has
approximately 1,300 licensees accounting for most MPEG-2 products
including set-top boxes, DVD players, digital television sets,
personal computers and DVD Video Discs in the current world market.
MPEG LA is an independent licensing administrator; it is not related
to any standards agency and is not an affiliate of any patent holder.
For more information, please refer to http://www.mpegla.com.