NEWS RELEASECOMPREHENSIVE RESOLUTION OF PATENT ISSUE RELATING TO
DIGITAL TERRESTRIAL BROADCASTINGULDAGE and Digital Terrestrial Broadcasters Agree on Execution of License Agreements
March 28, 2013
ULDAGE Inc.
ULDAGE Inc., the patent pool license administrator, is pleased to report that, up to today, therespective digital terrestrial broadcasters, namely, each of the 127 members of The Japan CommercialBroadcasters Association, Nippon Hoso Kyokai (NHK), and The Open University of Japan, andULDAGE, after long-held negotiations, have executed license agreements for patents relating todigital terrestrial broadcasting.
Digital terrestrial broadcasting, which started in Japan in December 2003, is provided in conformity
with the so-called ARIB Standards established through discussions among the participating membersof The Association of Radio Industries and Businesses (ARIB). The Standards reflect technologies,
suggestions, and ideas of numerous broadcasters, device manufacturers, and other concerned parties,
and consequently, there is a wide variety of patent holders involved in such technologies, and a large
number of patents are also involved.
Unless appropriate measures are taken to tackle this kind of complex patent issue, the standards
themselves or the growth of digital terrestrial broadcasting business itself could be negatively affected.
ULDAGE was established in July 2006 in order to resolve such patent issue and promote the growthof the digital television broadcasting system by gathering various patents relating to digital television
broadcasting in one place and then licensing them as a package through the so-called patent poolingmethod.
At present, ULDAGE has pooled approximately 500 patents held by 14 patent holders. Under thelicense program intended for receivers, which was implemented back in 2007, 161 licensee companies
manufacture and sell such devices, and the program has contributed greatly to the establishment of theenvironment for the expansion of access to digital television in relation to the complete transition from1

analog broadcasting to digital broadcasting.
Digital television broadcasting cannot be realized unless both ends exist: the broadcasters which send
signals that comply with the ARIB Standards and the television receivers which receive such signals.
Consequently, ULDAGE has long pursued negotiations with the representatives of the broadcasters tomaterialize the license program for digital broadcasting. The recent execution of license agreementswith the broadcasters is groundbreaking in that the broadcasters will now reward the patent holders,
namely, the developers of the relevant technologies, by directly bearing an appropriate proportion ofroyalties for the use of such technologies.
As a result, the broadcasters will be able to further their broadcasting businesses in a stable condition
without any concern over the issue of digital terrestrial broadcasting related patents pooled withULDAGE.

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About ULDAGE Inc.
ULDAGE Inc. was established in July 2006 for the purpose of providing tools for revitalizing businessby creating a competitive environment through collaboration and resolution of patent issues in thiscomplex digital age. ULDAGE Inc. undertakes its business by granting licenses for essential patents
held by multiple parties in a single package (by the patent pooling method) which offers convenience
to both patent holders and business operators.
Location:

Imperial Tower, 1-1-1 Uchisaiwai-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Phone:+81-(0)3-3500-1572

President & CEO:Yoshihide Nakamura

Stated Capital:

60,000,000 yen

Shareholders:

Sharp Corporation

14.29%

Sony Corporation

14.29%

Toshiba Corporation

14.29%JVC KENWOOD Corporation

14.29%

Panasonic Corporation

14.29%

Hitachi Consumer Electronics Co., Ltd.

14.29%

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation

14.29%

FAX:

2+81-(0)3-3500-1573