Four companies – Mitsubishi Electric Corp., Thomson Licensing, Toshiba Corp. and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment this week announced that they have commenced a worldwide joint licensing program beginning on March 1, 2010 for Blu-ray (BD) and DVD patents essential for Blu-ray products, including BD products that incorporate DVD functionality.

The license portfolio consists of BD and DVD patents, owned or controlled by the four companies, that are essential for BD products. Licenses for the portfolio will be available for products that comply with the specifications for the BD formats promulgated by the Blu-ray Disc Association. The potential licensees will benefit from one-stop shopping for the essential patents owned or controlled by the four companies, which will facilitate the development of the BD.

Interested parties are also free to negotiate separate license agreements, rather than taking a single portfolio license, with each of the four companies, which have committed to provide such licenses for their respective essential patents under fair, reasonable and nondiscriminatory terms and conditions.

The companies have authorized Toshiba to act as licensor for the BD4C Licensing Group in licensing their essential BD patents for this joint licensing program.

Royalties under the terms of the portfolio license will be as follows:

Tags: Blu-ray