Audio
Voice Codec
Overview
License Fees
Licensors
Essentiality Overview
FAQ
Via LA’s Voice Codec pool offers a one-stop shop for the patent rights to multiple foundational voice codec technologies, including Enhanced Voice Services (EVS) and Immersive Voice and Audio Services (IVAS).
EVS is a widely adopted super wideband voice coding technology enabling rich voice and sound experiences on today’s global 4G and 5G cellular networks. With excellent audio quality, low delay and high-quality error resiliency, EVS is a major leap forward for today’s consumers.
IVAS, built upon the robust EVS foundation, brings a new level of immersive audio to the voice experience. With features such as scene-based audio, object-based audio, and metadata-assisted spatial audio (MASA), users will benefit from more realistic experiences across new products categories such as VR and AR headsets, all while maintaining backwards compatibility with EVS.
The framework for the Voice Codec program is based on fair, reasonable, non-discriminatory, and transparent licensing – hallmarks of Via LA’s pool licensing programs that global organizations and industries have come to trust and expect.
In a single, cost-effective, highly efficient patent license agreement, parties needing a license to core voice codecs can receive rights to foundational standards-essential patents from the most important innovators and technology contributors. See the Licensors section for details on the patent owners that are part of the Voice Codec pool. The program license is applicable to multiple device categories and industries, including smartphones, tablets, wearables, as well as other product categories implementing the voice codec standards.
Voice Codec – License Fees
| Rate Type | License Fee |
|---|---|
| Standard Rate | $0.60 per unit (USD) |
- Dolby International AB
- Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI)
- Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd
- JVCKENWOOD Corporation
- NTT, Inc.
What does the Voice Codec Patent License Agreement Cover?
The Voice Codec Patent License Agreement covers the Enhanced Voice Services (EVS) and Immersive Voice and Audio Services (IVAS) standards. You can find more details on these standards here.
What do EVS and IVAS technologies do, and how can they be used?
EVS and IVAS are voice standards that enable high-quality communication through 4G, 5G, and future generations of mobile networks. They offer excellent audio quality, low delay, and robust error handling. EVS is already widely used, with over a billion mobile devices shipped globally each year. This license applies to devices like smartphones, tablets, wearables, and other products using these voice codec standards.
Who are the essential patent holders (Licensors) for the Voice Codec Patent License Agreement?
You can find the full list of licensors for the Voice Codec Patent License Agreement by clicking here.
What are licensors required to do with their essential Voice Codec patents?
Licensors grant Via LA a global, non-exclusive license to all Voice Codec Essential Patents they can license or sublicense (without payment of fees to a third party). This allows Via LA to sublicense these patents to licensees under the terms of the Voice Codec Patent License Agreement.
What happens when new patents are added to the Voice Codec Patent License Agreement?
Royalties remain unchanged, regardless of whether more patents are added or removed. New licensors and patents are added at no additional cost during the term of the license.
Are all essential Voice Codec patents included in the Voice Codec Patent License Agreement?
While Licensors agree to include in the Voice Codec Patent License Agreement all Essential Voice Codec Patents that they and their Affiliates have the right to license or sublicense (without payment of fees to third parties), 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 can a patent holder become a licensor for the Voice Codec Patent License Agreement?
If you believe you have essential patents for EVS or IVAS, you can submit them for evaluation. If they’re deemed essential, you’ll be eligible to join the licensing program. For more details on the submission process and terms, please contact us at vcpinfo@via-la.com.
How many licenses does a Voice Codec user need?
It is up to the user to decide how to meet their licensing needs. The Voice Codec Patent License Agreement simplifies the process by allowing users to access rights to essential patents from multiple licensors through a single licensing agreement. Alternatively, users can negotiate separate licenses with individual patent holders.
What are the royalties for the Voice Codec Patent License Agreement?
Royalties are defined in the licensing agreement. For detailed royalty rates, click here.
Are royalties due if a substantial portion of the components of a product originates from a country with patent coverage, but the last step to manufacture the final product was completed in a country without 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.
To obtain a license or for additional information, please contact info@via-la.com.
Any entity believing it has a valid patent essential to the EVS and IVAS standards is invited to submit its patent for a determination of essentiality by an independent evaluator. See the Essentiality Overview section for the definition of the standards included in the pool.
If the submitted patent is found to be essential by the independent evaluator, the submitter is eligible to participate in the Voice Codec Licensing Program Committee and the licensing program.
Parties interested in participating as a pool licensor, may contact us at ProgramManagement@via-la.com. Information about the submission procedures and the terms and conditions governing the submission of patents for essentiality determination are provided without obligation.
“EVS Standard” means the technical specification within the Enhanced Voice Services standard defined by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (“3GPP”) and includes all versions and extensions of the following:
| TS 26.441 | Codec for Enhanced Voice Services (EVS); General overview |
| TS 26.442 | Codec for Enhanced Voice Services (EVS); ANSI C code (fixed-point) |
| TS 26.443 | Codec for Enhanced Voice Services (EVS); ANSI C code (floating- point) |
| TS 26.444 | Codec for Enhanced Voice Services (EVS); Test sequences |
| TS 26.445 | Codec for Enhanced Voice Services (EVS); Detailed algorithmic description |
| TS 26.446 | Codec for Enhanced Voice Services (EVS); Adaptive Multi-Rate – Wideband (AMR-WB) backward compatible functions |
| TS 26.447 | Codec for Enhanced Voice Services (EVS); Error concealment of lost packets |
| TS 26.448 | Codec for Enhanced Voice Services (EVS); Jitter Buffer Management |
| TS 26.449 | Codec for Enhanced Voice Services (EVS); Comfort Noise Generation (CNG) aspects |
| TS 26.450 | Codec for Enhanced Voice Services (EVS); Discontinuous Transmission (DTX) |
| TS 26.451 | Codec for Enhanced Voice Services (EVS); Voice Activity Detection (VAD) |
“IVAS Standard” means the technical specification within the Immersive Voice and Audio Services standard defined by 3rd Generation Partnership Project (“3GPP”) and includes all versions and extensions of the following:
| TS 26.250 | Codec for immersive voice and audio services – General overview |
| TS 26.251 | Codec for immersive voice and audio services – ANSI C code (fixed-point) |
| TS 26.252 | Codec for immersive voice and audio services – Test sequences |
| TS 26.253 | Codec for immersive voice and audio services – Detailed Algorithmic Description incl. RTP payload format and SDP parameter definitions |
| TS 26.254 | Codec for immersive voice and audio services – Rendering |
| TS 26.255 | Codec for immersive voice and audio services – Error concealment of lost packets |
| TS 26.256 | Codec for immersive voice and audio services – Jitter Buffer Management |
| TS 26.258 | Codec for immersive voice and audio services – ANSI C code (floating point) |