Access Advance Welcomes New VDP Pool Licensors and Releases Independent Economic Analysis Confirming FRAND Compliance

Access Advance LLC today announced that Sharp Corporation, CB Cline, SK Planet, and Telechips, Inc have joined the Access Advance Video Distribution Patent Pool (VDP Pool) as Licensors, further expanding the pool's portfolio of patents for modern video codec technologies (HEVC, VVC, VP9, and AV1). The announcement coincides with the release of an independent economic analysis by Criterion Economics confirming that the VDP Pool's royalty structure is fair, reasonable, and nondiscriminatory (FRAND).

Sharp, a global leader in consumer electronics and display technologies, brings decades of research and development in video processing and compression to the VDP Pool. The additions of CB Cline, SK Planet, and Telechips, Inc further expand the pool’s patent coverage. These additions reinforce the VDP Pool’s position as the leading licensing program for modern video codec technologies powering the streaming experiences of consumers worldwide.

"Sharp, CB Cline, SK Planet, and Telechips each bring meaningful contributions to the VDP Pool. Their decision to join reflects the strength of the program and is a testimony to Access Advance’s balanced approach in the licensing of video codecs in the video streaming market," said Peter Moller, CEO of Access Advance. "As we continue to grow the pool's Licensor base, we remain committed to offering video service providers a transparent, efficient, and cost-effective path to licensing the patents that support modern video distribution."

The additions of these new licensors to the VDP Pool come as Access Advance releases a landmark independent study that reinforces the program's commitment to FRAND principles, underscoring for prospective Licensors and Licensees the balanced approach and economic soundness of the pool's licensing framework.

The whitepaper, The Economics of Video Compression: Why the Access Advance Video Distribution Patent Pool Is Fair, Reasonable, and Nondiscriminatory, was authored by J. Gregory Sidak and Dr. Andrew P. Vassallo of Criterion Economics. Applying microeconomic theory and observed industry practices, the authors conclude that the VDP Pool's royalty structure comfortably satisfies FRAND criteria across all business models including subscription, advertising-supported, and hybrid monetization strategies.

The analysis further demonstrates that the pool's single-license structure, featuring one price for all four codecs, significantly reduces transaction costs and licensing friction for video service providers, offering them the flexibility to adopt the most efficient codec mix as market conditions evolve.

"This independent analysis provides objective, rigorous validation that the VDP Pool's rates are not only FRAND-compliant but are in fact exceedingly modest relative to the value that modern codecs deliver," said Moller. "As our Licensors continue to invest in the next generation of video technology, this report affirms that the VDP Pool is the right vehicle for ensuring that their innovations are fairly and efficiently compensated and the adoption of these innovations continue to grow and benefit consumers worldwide."

The executive summary of the whitepaper is available on the Access Advance website. The full report is available upon request. For more information about the VDP Pool or to inquire about licensing, visit accessadvance.com.

About Access Advance:

About Access Advance: Access Advance LLC is an independent licensing administrator company formed to lead the development, administration, and management of patent pools for licensing essential patents of the most important video codec technologies. Access Advance provides a transparent and efficient licensing mechanism for both patent owners and patent implementers.

Access Advance manages and administers the HEVC Advance Patent Pool for licensing over 29,000 patents essential to HEVC/H.265 technology and the VVC Advance Patent Pool for licensing over 4,500 patents essential to VVC/H.266 technology. The company's Multi-Codec Bridging Agreement provides eligible licensees with a single discounted royalty rate structure for licensees participating in both the HEVC Advance and VVC Advance pools. In addition, Access Advance offers the Video Distribution Patent Pool, a comprehensive licensing solution for video streaming services covering HEVC, VVC, VP9, and AV1 codecs. Access Advance has also acquired the administrator of Via LA’s HEVC/VVC patent pool, now named the VCL Advance (Video Codec Licensing) program. For more information, please visit: www.accessadvance.com.

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