The DVD6C Licensing Group (DVD6C) is revising its joint patent licensing program beginning on and after January 1, 2018, including offering a new license agreement.
Specifically, the revised licensing program provides for the following reduced rates from the current US$1.75 per DVD Player - for DVD Players (DVD-Video Players, DVD-Audio Players, and DVD-ROM Drives) for licensees in good standing, i.e., licensees who have no overdue or incorrect royalty reports or overdue or underpaid royalties (including back royalties) and are otherwise in compliance with their license agreement with DVD6C:
- US$1.50 per DVD Player for all DVD Players sold or otherwise transferred on or after January 1, 2018.
- US$1.25 per DVD Player for all DVD Players sold or otherwise transferred on or after January 1, 2019.
These reduced royalty rates will be available to such licensees for DVD Players sold or otherwise transferred during any reporting period beginning on or after January 1, 2018, provided that the licensee was in 'good standing' as of the due date for payment of royalties for the immediately preceding reporting period．
The DVD6C licensees not in 'good standing' for any period for which an audit has revealed an underpayment of royalties of greater than 3%.
DVD6C's members have authorized Toshiba Corporation to act as a licensor on their behalf in licensing their essential DVD patents as part of this joint patent licensing program.
The DVD6C is consisting of eight developers of DVD technology and formats - Hitachi Consumer Electronics Co., Ltd., JVC KENWOOD Corporation, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Panasonic Corporation, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Sharp Corporation, Toshiba IPR Solutions, Inc. and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Inc.
Seperately, Panasonic Corp., one of the members of the DVD6C Licensing Group , has acquired DVD patents from SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.. The DVD patents Panasonic acquired from SANYO include all SANYO DVD patents which have been identified as essential pursuant to the DVD6C licensing program. The SANYO's essential DVD patents acquired by Panasonic remain licensed under the DVD6C License.