[opendtv] Chinese manufacturers sue DVD patent pool
- From: Tom Barry <trbarry@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: opendtv <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2005 20:07:15 -0500
More on possible patent pool abuse.
From The Register
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/01/25/chinese_dvd_maker_lawsuit/>
Chinese manufacturers sue DVD patent pool
By Tony Smith
Published Tuesday 25th January 2005 12:03 GMT
The company charged with licensing the intellectual property enshrined
in the DVD standard has been accused of violating US antitrust laws by a
pair of peeved player makers from China.
Wuxi Multimedia and Orient Power (Wuxi) both claim that the 3C Patent
Group's licensing regime limits their ability to compete effectively in
the DVD player market, the China Daily reports.
Like many standards, DVD comprises a number of patented technologies,
all of which are pooled together and offered under a single usage rights
and royalty licence. This pooling approach is common when a number of
firms have contributed intellectual property to a standard.
However, the 3C group appears to charge Chinese player makers rather
more than it charges US-based manufacturers. That, say the two
plaintiffs, is discriminatory, unfair and runs contrary to US antitrust law.
Both companies are seeking the return of all royalties collected by the
3C group, damages amounting to three times that figure and a declaration
that the DVD patent pool is invalid.
If the plaintiffs are successful, it could result in a flood of even
cheaper no-name DVD players on the market. ®
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