Virginia, United States and Turin, Italy
Microsoft Corporation has acquired a patent license from SISVEL S.p.A. and its U.S. subsidiary Audio MPEG, Inc. to the MP3 and MPEG2 audio compression patents owned by France Telecom, TDF, IRT, and Philips. Under this agreement, Microsoft is licensed to sell products using the patented MP3 and MPEG2 audio compression technology.
As per SISVEL and Audio MPEG's standard licensing program, the license granted to Microsoft covers PC-software and hardware products including Microsoft's new Zune music player, the Xbox 360, and Microsoft's MP3 software on Windows-based PC's.
"Microsoft is pleased to have joined the SISVEL licensing program" said Amir Majidemehr, corporate vice president of the Consumer Media Technology Group at Microsoft. "Microsoft has always been committed to protecting the intellectual property of our partners and the industry, and we feel this agreement helps to further that goal."
"The decision by Microsoft to take a license from Sisvel and Audio MPEG again illustrates the success and importance of MP3 in the field of audio compression and confirms the industry's appreciation of the research and development behind MPEG Audio technology covered by the patents we are licensing" said General Richard Neal (Ret), President of Audio MPEG.
By taking a license, Microsoft has joined over 800 other companies that are licensed by Sisvel and Audio MPEG on these patents for MP3 players and other products using MPEG Audio compression.
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SISVEL S.p.A. Alberto Leproni, +39-339-7708540 alberto.leproni@sisvel.it
SISVEL S.p.A. Alberto Leproni, +39-339-7708540 alberto.leproni@sisvel.it
Source: Business Wire (Business Wire India)