IEEE, Via in IP licensing collaboration

PISCATAWAY & SAN FRANCISCO, USA: The IEEE Standards Association and Via Licensing Corp. announced a collaborative effort to foster patent licensing programs, also known as patent pools, for IEEE standards. The collaboration’s goal is to accelerate and broaden adoption of IEEE standards-based technologies.

The two organizations plan to build awareness of the benefits of patent pools in the IEEE-SA corporate stakeholder community. Via will administer the licensing programs that emerge from these efforts. These patent pools will bring together multiple entities who own patents essential to the practice of IEEE standards to license their individual Intellectual Property (IP) rights through a streamlined process.

According to Judith Gorman, Managing Director, IEEE Standards Association, “The collaboration with Via Licensing is a groundbreaking step for the IEEE in addressing the needs of our industry stakeholders to see their significant investment in standards development rewarded. We expect that our participation at the earliest stages of the patent pooling process will reduce the barriers that prevent the rapid adoption of technology standards.”

“As the IEEE continues to develop global technology standards, it is important that any issues surrounding intellectual property are addressed in a fair and cost-effective manner. Together, IEEE and Via Licensing are working to provide visibility, neutrality, and streamlined accessibility to essential intellectual property,” said Jean-Michel Bourdon, President, Via Licensing.

Patent pools provide an expedient business construct for holders of essential patents related to a specification or standard. Licensors in the pool facilitate access to their intellectual property by establishing a single royalty rate and license for all of the patents in the pool.

“Today’s announcement reduces some of the barriers preventing the rapid adoption of IEEE standards in the market and can help streamline the process for licensing essential patents,” said Harald Roeggla, Senior Director, IP Licensing and Claims, NXP.

“This move supports the fast adoption of IEEE standards in the market as it helps reduce uncertainty about the licenses needed and royalty burden for the technology," added Dennis Brophy, Director of Strategic Business Development, Mentor Graphics Corporation.

“This is a positive step for the technology standards industry. Addressing the IP issues for standards as early as possible could help in the adoption of new standards," says Stefan Geyersberger, Head of IP Licensing, Fraunhofer IIS.

Patent pools bring a measure of stability to patent licensing for a particular technology by reducing litigation risks and establishing a market rate. As a result, licensees find it easier to obtain licenses, and licensors can monetize their research investment in a market-enabling and cost-effective manner.

"The interdependence of intellectual property rights and markets combined with the accelerated pace of development has created the need for greater visibility of licensing requirements both within and across individual standards," said Robert Syputa, senior analyst and partner at Maravedis Inc. "This makes a coordinated licensing framework that includes patent pools, a valuable asset if not an outright necessity for the advancement of electronics, particularly of IT and telecommunications related technologies and markets."