The PREMIER BD Patent Licensing Group ("PREMIER BD") is organized by the following seven members and offers a portfolio license to all of the essential patents owned or controlled by the seven members for players, recorders, drives, encoders, decoders and discs implementing the BD-ROM, BD-Video, BD-R, BD-RE and BD/DVD hybrid formats, as applicable, including any of the foregoing BD products that incorporate DVD functionality:
- Columbia Technology Ventures
- Disney Enterprises, Inc.
- InterDigital CE Patent Holdings, SAS
- Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
- Thomson Licensing (S.A.S)
- Toshiba Corporation
- Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Inc.
All companies that practice these patents, including in the manufacture of players, recorders, drives, encoders, decoders and discs, must be licensed. PREMIER BD Joint Patent Licensing Program offers an efficient means to be licensed and, therefore, to avoid patent infringement, by offering a package of essential patents owned or controlled by the seven members. The members of PREMIER BD have authorized Toshiba Corporation to grant portfolio licenses on their behalf. InterDigital assists the licensing activities on a regional basis in Europe and Africa. Toshiba Corporation also acts as the regional licensing representative for North and South America, Asia (including Japan), Oceania and the Middle East.
Interested parties are also free to negotiate individual license agreements separately, rather than taking a single portfolio license, with each of the seven companies, which have committed to provide such licenses for their respective essential patents under fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms and conditions.
