MPEG LA, LLC announced that a group of 25 companies have agreed on HEVC license terms expected to issue as part of an HEVC Patent Portfolio License in early 2014. Final agreements are yet to be concluded.

High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC, also known as H.265 and MPEG-H Part 2) is a standard designed to improve video coding efficiency for the benefit of Internet and mobile service providers and consumers with increased speed and capacity. HEVC is also expected to deliver next-generation higher resolution HDTV video displays for 4K and 8K Ultra High Definition TV.

As work continues on evaluating patents for essentiality and concluding terms in final agreements, the license is currently supported by 25 prospective HEVC essential patent holders including the following: Apple, BBC, Cisco, Korea's ETRI, Fraunhofer Institute, Hitachi Maxell, HUMAX, JVC KENWOOD, LG Electronics, M&K Holdings, NEC, NHK, NTT, DOCOMO, Orange, Siemens, SK Telecom, Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson, Thomson Licensing and Vidyo.

In its effort to include as much essential intellectual property as possible in one license for the benefit of the marketplace, MPEG LA says it welcome the submission of issued patents for an evaluation of their essentiality to the HEVC Standard (defined in ISO/IEC 23008-2 MPEG-H Part 2 and ITU-T Recommendation H.265). "Any party that believes it has patents that are essential to the HEVC Standard and wishes to join the HEVC Patent Portfolio License is invited to submit them for evaluation by MPEG LA's patent evaluators."

"As contemplated, the HEVC license will utilize a modern streamlined pool licensing approach with simple easy-to-understand terms making the technology readily accessible to the largest possible market in the shortest possible time," said MPEG LA President and CEO Larry Horn.

Story filed 20.01.14