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ATSC 3.0

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Overview

License Fees

Licensors

Licensees

Patent List

Essentiality Overview

FAQ

The ATSC 3.0 next-generation terrestrial broadcast technology standard improves the over-the-air television viewing experience. It accomplishes this with compression efficiency, robust transmission for reception on both fixed and mobile devices, and multiple connectivity options. No longer limited to satellite, cable, broadband, or other traditional network communication, ATSC 3.0 offers a powerful, low-cost alternative for industries such as broadcast, education, and public infrastructure.

This enables consumers to enjoy better quality audio and video, personalize their programming selections, and experience two-way interactivity and multi-screen applications. ATSC 3.0 also promises to provide industries with new revenue opportunities by revolutionizing the way broadcasters and related industries capture, store, enhance, and deliver content.

The ATSC 3.0 standard is defined by the Advanced Television Systems Committee, Inc., an international, non-profit organization that develops voluntary standards for digital television. It encompasses a suite of more than 20 standards.

Via LA’s ATSC 3.0 patent pool provides product manufacturers a fair, transparent license at competitive rates to 14 licensors’ ATSC 3.0 standard essential patent portfolios. These patents cover many core technologies that apply to the key specifications related to ATSC 3.0 innovations.

In addition to these competitive standard royalty rates, companies who sign a license before October 30, 2023, may receive an additional 30% off. This enables companies to obtain a single and cost-effective license to standard essential patents owned by 14 innovators and lock in these market-friendly terms. Particularly, this presents a valuable opportunity for companies that anticipate implementing this standard at some point but have not yet implemented the ATSC 3.0 standard into their products. If companies never ship ATSC 3.0 products, then they do not incur any royalty fees. And if they do begin shipping ATSC 3.0 products, then they will be locked in at the lower rate and will benefit from predictable IP costs.

To obtain a license or for additional information, please contact info@via-la.com.

ATSC Receiver Product (ATSC 3.0 TR1)

Volume Per Unit Fee
All units $0.30

Companies that sign a license before October 30, 2023, may receive a 30% discount off Via LA’s standard royalty rate. This enables companies to obtain a single and cost-effective license to standard essential patents owned by 14 innovators at extremely competitive rates and lock in these terms. This opportunity is also available to companies that anticipate implementing, but have not yet implemented, the ASTC 3.0 Standard into their products.

LICENSEES AND AFFILIATES IN GOOD STANDING*

  • Adir International, LLC
  • BEACON INC
  • BitRouter d/b/a ZapperBox, Inc.
  • CreNova Systems Co., Ltd.
  • Firecore, LLC
  • Inca Networks Inc. DBA WISI America
  • Koninklijke KPN N.V.
  • Koninklijke Philips N.V.
  • KX INTEK INC.
  • LowaSIS. Inc.
  • Manhattan-Digital LLC
  • Panasonic Entertainment & Communication Co., Ltd.
  • Sis. Int. de Servicios de Telecontrol S.L.
  • TELEVÉS SAU
  • TTE Technology Inc.
  • VBox Communications Ltd.
  • WeTek - Soluções Tecnológicas S.A.

*Licensees current in their obligations with respect to products reported and covered under their License; companies listed above may produce some or no products which are licensed under their respective agreement and, therefore, no conclusion may be drawn from this list that any particular products they manufacture are licensed. If you have questions about License coverage, please contact info@via-la.com.

  • CableTelevision Laboratories, Inc.
  • Cerinet USA Inc.
  • Communications Research Centre Canada (CRC), part of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
  • Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
  • Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
  • IDEAHUB, Inc.
  • Koninklijke KPN N.V.
  • Koninklijke Philips N.V.
  • Korea Electronics Technology Institute
  • Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
  • NEC Corporation
  • NHK Engineering System, Inc.
  • Nippon Hoso Kyokai
  • ONE Media, LLC
  • Panasonic Holdings Corporation
  • Shanghai National Engineering Research Center of Digital Television Co., Ltd (NERC-DTV)
  • SK Telecom Co., Ltd.
  • Sun Patent Trust
  • TCL Smart Screen Technology (HK) Limited
  • Technology in Ariscale, LLC

This is a list of patents (Attachment 1) in the ATSC 3.0 Patent Portfolio License (updated September 1, 2025).

Licensors agree to include all ATSC 3.0 Essential Patents that they and their Affiliates presently or in the future have the right to license or sublicense.

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What does the ATSC 3.0 Patent Portfolio License cover?

The ATSC 3.0 Patent Portfolio License provides coverage for the ATSC 3.0 Standard to the extent posted here.

What is the term of the ATSC 3.0 license?

The term of the license is five years, and it can be renewed for additional five-year terms. The initial term ends on December 31, 2027.

What products are covered by the license?

The License applies to any product that is capable of demodulating and channel decoding an over-the-air, RF terrestrial broadcast signal in compliance with the ATSC 3.0 Standard. Types of products include, but are not limited to, digital televisions, television tuners, media adapters, set top boxes, displays, and mobile, automotive and other computing devices that access or process ATSC 3.0 signals.

Are royalties due if a substantial portion of the components of product originates from a country with patent coverage but and the last step of manufacture of the final product is was completed in a country with no patent coverage?

It is common for certain jurisdictions to provide tax incentives to companies if they complete the final assembly of a product locally (e.g., “knockdown kits”).  Royalties are still due, however, either because the large majority of manufacturing or final use of the product still occurs in a jurisdiction(s) where there is significant patent coverage.

Who must sign a license?

Any entity that sells (or is contemplating to sell) software and/or hardware that is capable of demodulating and channel decoding an over-the-air, RF terrestrial broadcast signal in compliance with the ATSC 3.0 Standard and is implemented in or capable of being implemented in an end user product.

Are all ATSC 3.0 essential patents included?

While Licensors are under an obligation to grant to Via LA a worldwide, nonexclusive license under all ATSC 3.0 essential patents that it and its Affiliates presently or in the future have the right to license or sublicense, enabling Via LA to grant worldwide, nonexclusive sublicenses under terms of the ATSC 3.0 Patent Portfolio License, no assurance is or can be made that the License includes every essential patent. The purpose of the License is to offer a convenient licensing alternative to everyone on the same terms and to include as much essential intellectual property as possible for their convenience; however, participation in the License is voluntary on the part of essential patent holders.

How may a patent holder become a Licensor to the ATSC 3.0 Patent Portfolio License?

Any party that believes it has patents that are essential to the ATSC 3.0 Standard and wishes to participate in the ATSC 3.0 Patent Portfolio License upon successful evaluation, is invited to submit them for evaluation and inclusion. Please contact Via LA at ProgramManagement@via-la.com to request a copy of the submission procedures and the terms and conditions governing the submission of patents for essentiality determination in order to join the ATSC 3.0 Licensing Program.

How can I obtain a sample license for review?

A sample of the ATSC 3.0 patent license agreement can be provided in electronic form via email. To obtain a license or for additional information, please contact info@via-la.com.

What are the reporting requirements of the ATSC 3.0 Program?

Licensees must report the sales of licensed products on a semi-annual basis, using a secure website. The specific information required in the semi-annual reports is simply the product designation (name and/or model number) and the number of units of each product sold in the reporting period.

If I do not currently have any products that support ATSC 3.0, but may do so in the future, should I still sign a license?

Yes, we highly encourage such entity to secure this license and lock in the current offering.  And in addition, if you would like to lock in the additional 30% discount off Via LA’s already competitive pro-market standard royalty rate, you must execute the license on or before October 30, 2023. This will enable you to obtain a single and cost-effective license to standard essential patents owned by 14 innovators at extremely competitive rates and lock in these terms. You do not need to report any licensed product sales until you start adopting ATSC 3.0 in your product line.

To obtain a license or for additional information, please contact info@via-la.com.

Please contact Via LA at ProgramManagement@via-la.com to request a copy of the submission procedures and the terms and conditions governing the submission of patents for essentiality determination in order to join the ATSC 3.0 Licensing Program.

Pursuant to Section 1.1 of the ATSC 3.0 Patent Portfolio License, “ATSC 3.0 Standard” shall mean the suite of digital terrestrial television standards defined by the Advanced Television Systems Committee (“ATSC”) to include specifically the following individual standards:

  • A/200:2022-03 Regional Service Availability, only to the extent this standard relates to other sections of the ATSC 3.0 Standard explicitly included in this section
  • A/300:2022-04 ATSC 3.0 System, only to the extent this standard relates to other sections of the ATSC 3.0 Standard explicitly included in this section
  • A/321:2022-03 System Discovery and Signaling
  • A/322:2022-11 Physical Layer Protocol
  • A/324:2022-06 Scheduler/Studio to Transmitter Link, with Amendment No. 1
  • A/330:2022-03 Link-Layer Protocol
  • A/331:2022-11 Signaling, Delivery, Synchronization, and Error Protection, with Amendments No. 1, 2, 3, and 4

In connection with A/331:2022-11, all non-ATSC 3.0 standards for implementing MPEG-DASH are excluded, including but not limited to ISO/IEC 23009 (all parts and editions)

  • A/332:2022-03 Service Announcement, with Amendment No. 1
  • A/333:2022-03 Service Usage Reporting
  • A/336:2022-03 Content Recovery in Redistribution Scenarios, with Amendment No. 1
  • A/337:2022-03 Application Signaling
  • A/338:2022-03 Companion Device
  • A/343:2022-03 Captions and Subtitles, with Amendments No. 1 and No. 2
  • A/344:2022-03 Interactive Content
  • A/360:2022-11 ATSC 3.0 Security and Service Protection, with Amendment No. 1 and Amendment No. 2

The following standards (all versions) within the ATSC 3.0 suite are specifically not included in the ATSC 3.0 Standard definition of this Section 1.11: ​

  • A/323 Dedicated Return Channel for ATSC 3.0 ·
  • All ATSC 3.0 Recommended Practices, including but not limited to A/325 (ATSC 3.9 PHY Lab Performance Test Plan) and A/326 (ATSC 3.0 Field Test Plan)​
  • A/334 Audio Watermark Emission
  • A/335 Video Watermark Emission
  • A/341 Video – HEVC (including HDR)
  • A/342 Audio Common Elements (Part 1), AC-4 System (Part 2), and MPEG-H (Part 3)

To assist in your research, click below to download the most recent available cross-reference chart showing illustrative claims of patents in the patent families on the Attachment 1 Patent List and sections of the ATSC 3.0 Standard for which they are essential.

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