Mitsubishi Electric Corp. has purchased about 250 DVD-related patents owned by IBM Corp, including pending ones.
As a result, IBM has sold all of its DVD-related patents. Mitsubishi Electric already owns approximately 1,000 DVD patents. The company intends to reinforce its DVD business as well as its own patent position, utilizing the newly acquired patents to facilitate DVD product development and other purposes.
Meanwhile, IBM explained that the sale of these patents was "part of our business choice and integration" currently underway. IBM also disclosed its plan to withdraw from the DVD 6C Licensing Group (DVD 6C), in which Mitsubishi Electric is also participating. The patents sold to Mitsubishi Electric include the "essential" patents to DVD standard specifications defined in the DVD 6C Licensing Program, but Mitsubishi Electric will continue to license these essential patents in compliance with the DVD 6C License Agreement.