3G Mobile Terminal Patent Licensing Programme Renews Joint License Agreement with Reduced Royalty Rates



    Today, 3G Licensing, the licensing administrator of the WCDMA
    Patent Licensing Programme, announced the publication of new royalty
    rates under a renewed Joint License Agreement for Terminals, JLAV4.0

    for the period 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2013 (5 years).

    A royalty of between U.S. $1.00 and U.S. $2.00 for each WCDMA
    terminal product for new licensees and a royalty of U.S. $1.00 for
    licensees that have been licensed for two years or more has been
    agreed by PlatformWCDMA Limited. The new royalty rates will apply for
    the 5 year period from 1 January 2009 and represent a reduction over
    the current license offer whilst at the same time offering a larger
    essential patent portfolio with more patent owners. There are fidelity
    discounts triggering royalty reductions after one year and two years.

    JLAV4.0 delivers a license for the period 1 January 2004 to 31
    December 2013 (10 years) providing transparency for prospective
    licensees on essential patents from a large number of major essential
    patent owners. Currently, there is a significant worldwide essential
    patent family portfolio available under the terminal license
    representing a substantial proportion of the overall number of
    essential patent families for the WCDMA technology. It is anticipated
    that more patent owners will join.

    "We are pleased that the essential patent owners have released
    commercially attractive royalty rates covering a period of the next
    five years for a substantial portfolio of WCDMA essential patents
    certified by an independent third party" said 3G Licensing Director
    Brian Kearsey. "These levels of royalty for the WCDMA technology (and
    its evolutions such as HSDPA and HSUPA) will further catalyse the
    development of the UMTS market worldwide."

    PlatformWCDMA Director & Chairperson, Hisashi Kato commented "As
    recent 3G mobile terminals are increasingly developing in embedding
    music, moving pictures and even broadcast features in addition to
    voice communication, terminal manufacturers must comply with various
    standards, not merely WCDMA, but also video, speech, broadcast, and
    others. The royalties payable to numerous patentees under these
    standards are expensively accumulating so that the competition in this
    market is intensifying to meet the demand of multi-functionalities of
    WCDMA terminals while manufacturers have to bear accumulative
    royalties. This reduced royalty scheme is believed to provide a truly
    satisfactory solution for the mobile terminal industries suffering
    from the aforementioned dilemma. We are confident that PlatformWCDMA
    is the core standard license provider on fair, reasonable and
    non-discriminatory terms to access our essential patents covered
    worldwide, and is expected to be even more enhanced by new patent
    holders joining in the future."

    Today more than 85 million terminals are licensed under the
    licensing programme and the number is likely to increase substantially
    with the launch of this new terminal license.

    About 3G Licensing

    3G Licensing Limited is responsible for the commercialisation
    worldwide of the W-CDMA Patent Licensing Programme. The scope of the
    programme covers the W-CDMA standards defined by 3GPP (including
    W-CDMA FDD, and the planned evolution such as HSDPA and HSUPA). 3G
    Licensing is incorporated in England, UK and located in Stamford, UK.

    About PlatformWCDMA

    PlatformWCDMA Limited is a company registered and incorporated in
    England that was established in September 2003 specifically to govern
    the W-CDMA Patent Licensing Programme. Membership of PlatformWCDMA is
    open to all W-CDMA FDD essential patent holders and its prime role is
    to establish the licensing terms and conditions of the W-CDMA Patent
    Licensing Programme (the list of members/licensors may be found at
    www.3glicensing.com). The day-to-day operations of the W-CDMA Patent
    Licensing Programme are assigned to the Licensing Administrator, 3G
    Licensing.