Broadcasters Challenge Broadband TV Patent Submarine Threat
I’ve pointed out how the EBU, the world’s largest organization of national broadcasters, is beating the drum to avoid patent lock-ins in new standards for hybrid broadcast-broadband TV services.
EBU’s own write-up of last week’s EBU/ETSI workshop is even more direct:
“Broadcasters are haunted by the ghosts of the submarine patents which emerged with MHP … This time this has to be avoided.”
The EBU should take a closer look at Ginga and Java DTV, which have taken the MHP patent issue head-on …
References
Licensing will be key for Hybrid Broadcast Broadband
10 September 2009
“… Finally there was an interactive discussion with the packed audience. Two important areas emerged from the discussions. The first was the need for attention to licence fees in these new systems. Broadcasters are haunted by the ghosts of the submarine patents which emerged with MHP five years after services had begun, and which was responsible for missed opportunities for its use. This time this has to be avoided. Particulary for the hybrid broadcasting area where the world is used to licence free Internet systems.”
