Via Licensing Announces Progress In The Formation Of A Joint Patent License For Near Field Communications Standard

Via Licensing Corporation is pleased to announce it will hold the second meeting of companies that hold patents essential for the implementation of the Near Field Communications (NFC) standard NFC IP-1.

The next meeting is scheduled for December 15 and 16, 2005 in Tokyo, and includes companies that have had patents independently examined and determined to be essential to the NFC standard, which is published by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) as document TS 102 190. The NFC standard defines a manner in which consumer electronic devices can communicate with each other and with commercial devices to exchange information, currency, or media content. NFC-enabled devices utilize short-range wireless communication based on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology.

Joint patent licensing programs provide the market with a convenient and cost-effective way to obtain licenses to patents that are essential to the practice of a standard. By doing so, the programs encourage greater adoption of a standard. Without such a joint license, the process of providing and obtaining necessary licenses would be more cumbersome and expensive for all parties.

Via Licensing continues to welcome the participation of additional parties that hold patents essential to the practice of the NFC IP-1 standard. The marketplace benefits from the participation of as many patent owners as possible, through the inclusion of more intellectual property in the license and by the participation of more parties in development of the terms of the license and program.

Parties holding patents they believe are necessarily infringed by the practice of the NFC IP-1 standard, and who are interested in participating in the meetings, should immediately request information by emailing submissions@vialicensing.com. Please indicate an interest in participation in NFC IP-1 standard licensing, and provide contact information. Evaluation of a submission as essential to the NFC IP-1 standard must be completed before the submitter is eligible to join in the discussions.

About Via Licensing Corporation
Via Licensing Corporation develops and administers patent licensing programs, frequently referred to as patent pools, on behalf of innovative technology companies and for the convenience of licensees. Licensing programs developed by Via Licensing are generally based on mandated or de facto technology standards. Current licensing programs offered by Via Licensing include IEEE 802.11, MPEG-2 AAC, MPEG-4 Audio, DRM (Digital Radio Mondiale), TV-Anytime, and H.264/AVC. Licensing programs in development by Via Licensing include NFC (Near Field Communications), IEEE 802.16, DVB-MHP, and OCAP (Open Cable Applications Platform). Via Licensing Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of Dolby Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE: DLB). For more information about Via Licensing Corporation, please visit www.vialicensing.com.