Forgent Bid for JPEG Licenses: ISO May Drop Standard

In 1986, a US patent was issued for a "coding system for reducing redundancy". Forgent Networks, the current owner of the patent, claims that it directly applies to a compression technique used in the creation of JPEG images. JPEG is the industry standard for compression of digital images. Many devices and software use to compress, store, manipulate, print or transmit digital images use JPEG technology. Although the patent is set to expire in 4 years, Forgent has begun seeking licenses from companies that implement JPEG in "all fields of use, with the sole exception of the satellite broadcast business". In June, Forgent announced licensing deals with a number of companies, including Sony, which is reported to have licensed the patent for $15 million. In the wake of Forgent's claims, the JPEG committee of the ISO standards body is considering withdrawing JPEG as a formal standard. ISO's patent policy requires that standards be available to the public on royalty-free or RAND (Reasonable And Non-Discriminatory) licensing terms. JPEG officials have argued that Forgent's licensing terms do not meet RAND requirements. Device makers who use JPEG technology may wish to look into whether the Forgent patent is a problem for them. A number of organizations are looking into the validity of the Forgent patent. To view the US patent, visit: http://makeashorterlink.com/?G3FE12B41 For more information about the JPEG standard, visit: www.jpeg.org Sony. Forgent Networks. To read an article by DWW's associate, Jennifer Jannuska on issues surrounding patents and standards setting, visit http://dww.local/?page_id=7