Dolby Laboratories announced that Research in Motion (RIM) has entered into a High Efficiency Advanced Audio Coding (HE AAC) patent licensing agreement through Via Licensing Corporation.
For more information visit: www.dolby.com
Unedited press release follows:
RIM Signs License Agreement Covering Dolby Audio Technologies;
Dolby Agrees to Withdraw Patent Infringement Actions against RIM
SAN FRANCISCO–Dolby Laboratories (NYSE: DLB) said today that Research in Motion (“RIM”) agreed to enter into a license agreement for its use of Dolby’s advanced audio technologies that were the subject of two lawsuits recently filed by Dolby against RIM. As a result, those cases were dismissed today based on agreement between the parties.
We are pleased to welcome RIM into Dolby’s family of mobile technology licensees. We believe in and will continue to protect the value of our intellectual property,” said Andy Sherman, executive vice president and general counsel of Dolby.
RIM obtained its license through Via Licensing Corporation, a Dolby subsidiary that licenses patents essential to the High Efficiency Advanced Audio Coding (“HE AAC”) international standard on behalf of multiple essential patent owners. Dolby’s patented audio compression technologies contribute to that standard. HE AAC provides highly efficient digital audio compression, which allows manufacturers and consumers to provide and enjoy high quality audio while using extremely limited amounts of transmission and/or storage space for such audio. HE AAC is widely used in consumer electronics devices such as smart phones, portable music players, computer tablets and personal computers. HE AAC makes possible playback of digital music and other digitized audio that has been compressed to less than 10% of its original digital file size. RIM employs HE AAC technologies in its Blackberry smart phones and Playbook tablet devices.
On June 15, 2011, Dolby filed lawsuits against RIM that focused on RIM’s use of Dolby’s industry-leading audio technologies. The suits were filed in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco, CA, and in the Mannheim District Court in Mannheim, Germany. As Dolby disclosed during its third quarter earnings call on August 4, 2011, RIM signed a license agreement shortly after the lawsuits were filed. The license agreement is on the standard terms offered by Via Licensing and covers the implementation of the HE AAC standard, including use of Dolby’s audio compression technologies in RIM’s smart phone and tablet devices.
Dolby Laboratories is the global leader in technologies that are essential elements in the best entertainment experiences. Founded in 1965 and best known for high-quality audio and surround sound, Dolby creates innovations that enrich entertainment at the movies, at home, or on the go. For more information about Dolby Laboratories or Dolby® technologies, please visit www.dolby.com.
Via Licensing Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of Dolby Laboratories that was formed in 2002 to develop and administer licensing programs for mandated, de facto, and emerging standards on behalf of innovative technology companies in the audio, broadcast, wireless, and automotive markets.