Konica Minolta Photo Imaging, Fuji Photo Film, and Eastman Kodak have announced the completion of a set of standards for the consumer imaging and electronics industries. This helps set a path to help ensure compatibility of digital photos and motion images on CDs, DVDs or other media with a broad range of consumer products.

Since Photokina 2004, when its formation was announced, the Picture Archiving and Sharing Standard (PASS) group has worked to define the standard, with the prime goal of putting consumers in a better position to enjoy their pictures not only today, but also with future generations.

The PASS version 1.0 specification suite includes:

* PASS Logical Disc Specification. This specification describes the logical components or data structures that are found on a PASS disc;
* PASS Originating/Authoring System Requirements Specification. This specification describes the capabilities needed by a system that creates PASS discs.
* PASS Receiving/Playback System Requirements Specification. This specification describes the capabilities needed by a system that plays the content of a PASS disc.

Konica Minolta Photo Imaging, Inc., Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd., and Eastman Kodak Company will first implement the new standards, utilizing them on their existing photo CD products beginning this year.

The companies encourage the use of the PASS specification for products in all applicable industries. Details in obtaining the version 1.0 specification, available in the near term, can be obtained from the following: Yutaka Ueda (ytk.kmpi@konicaminolta.jp) of Konica Minolta Photo Imaging, Inc., Tatsuo Heki of Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. (thfpf@tokyo.fujifilm.co.jp), or Frank Ranalletti of Eastman Kodak Company (frank.ranalletti@kodak.com).