S2 Licensing Formally Launches DVB-S2 Patent Licensing Campaign

S2 Licensing announced the launch of a licensing campaign under the combined patent rights in DVB S2 standardized technology held by DTVG Licensing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of The DIRECTV Group, Inc. and the owner by assignment of DIRECTV’s essential DVB-S2 patents, and RAI. ESA is in the late stages of agreeing to the initiative and is expected to contribute its DVB-S2 patent rights to those of DIRECTV and RAI, at no additional cost to licensees, later in 2008.

DVB-S2 (Digital Video Broadcasting – Satellite, 2nd Generation) is the second generation DVB system for broadband satellite communications, covering digital TV and HDTV broadcasting, interactive services, and professional links by satellite. DVB-S2 enables delivery of a significantly higher data rate (e.g. 30%) in a given transponder bandwidth than the previous DVB-S standard.

For the convenience of adopters, the license under the combined portfolios (currently representing over twenty patent families) is now available to all parties practicing or planning to practice the DVB-S2 standard, and provides favorable terms to speed adoption of the DVB-S2 standard. For consumer applications, such as satellite television set-top box receivers, a license under the combined portfolios is available for a one-time royalty of US$0.50 for each encoder or decoder present in a product for quantities exceeding 500,000 over the term of the license, and US$1.00 per encoder or decoder in lower quantities. Terms for other applications, such as digital satellite news gathering, data trunking, and up-link station modulation, are offered at reasonable and non-discriminatory terms, available upon request.