Last update: February 5, 2024
The PREMIER BD Patent Licensing Group licenses all patents (“BD Patents,” and, as applicable, the “DVD Patents”) owned or controlled by the Group members that are "Essential" to make, use or sell "BD Products" (as those terms are defined in the PREMIER BD Patent License Agreement). "Essential" is defined in the PREMIER BD Patent License Agreement as "necessarily infringed when implementing the BD Standard Specifications or, as applicable, the DVD Standard Specifications or claiming technologies for which there is no realistic alternative in implementing the BD Standard Specifications or, as applicable, the DVD Standard Specifications".1 Attached are lists of certain patents owned or controlled by the Group members that have been reviewed by an impartial and independent expert retained by the Group, and which the expert has determined are "Essential" at this time to implement the BD Standard Specifications or, as applicable, the DVD Standard Specifications. The attached lists are for information purposes only. These lists are offered by way of example and may not be exhaustive.
The PREMIER BD license includes all of the patents owned or controlled by the Group members that meet the foregoing definition of "Essential" and only such patents. Upon expiration of a patent included in the PREMIER BD license, or in the event of a subsequent determination that a patent is not valid or not "Essential", that patent will not be included in the PREMIER BD license.
Members of the PREMIER BD Patent Licensing Group may own or control other patents that do not meet the definition of "Essential" in the PREMIER BD Patent License Agreement, but which may be relevant to certain BD Products or related products. Inquiries regarding such non-essential patents should be directed to the individual Group members. The Group members reserve all of their respective rights with regard to such patents."
1The PREMIER BD license does not include patents solely relating to video or audio compression (including without limitation MPEG-2, AVC/H.264 or VC-1 video compression, or AC-3, Dolby Digital, Dolby True HD, DTS or DTS-HD audio compression) or content protection (including without limitation “CSS” (Content Scramble System), “CPPM” (Copyright Protection for Pre-recorded Media), “CPRM” (Copyright Protection for Recordable Media), “AACS” (Advanced Access Content System) or BD-ROM Mark or BD+ content protection systems) that may be applicable to BD products.? Additionally, such BD Patents shall not include patents directed solely to communication protocols listed in the “References” section of the BD specifications (and HTTP specifically) unless such patents are essential for an application described in the BD-Live specification.
