Huawei Enters Patent License Agreement for Fraunhofer IIS MPEG-4 Audio Patent Portfolio

Global communications equipment provider Huawei has entered into a worldwide patent license agreement with the renowned developer of audio and media technologies, Fraunhofer IIS, for Fraunhofer’s MPEG-4 Audio patent portfolio. The license agreement addresses past and future use of Fraunhofer’s MPEG-4 Audio patent portfolio in Huawei’s products. The patents cover compression formats for perceptual coding of audio signals, including some variations of Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), and other audio/speech coding formats and tools.
 
“We are delighted that Huawei has chosen to license our MPEG-4 Audio patent portfolio for this important and innovative technology, which, to date, has been implemented in more than ten billion devices worldwide,” says Stefan Geyersberger, Head of Patents and Licensing and Deputy Division Director Audio and Media Technologies of Fraunhofer IIS.

Fraunhofer IIS is one of the main developers of the MPEG-4 Audio codec family. The audio codecs are used in communications services, TV, radio and streaming services worldwide. The codecs combine high quality audio with low bit rates and advanced features enabling an impressive audio experience for communication systems, broadcast and streaming.

By making these technologies accessible as open standards, smartphone manufacturers like Huawei are provided the opportunity to successfully enter ever-expanding markets globally. Fraunhofer IIS is committed to maintaining a level playing field in the market place by making its MPEG-4 Audio patent portfolio available through its pool and individual patent licensing programs on FRAND terms.

Through the granting of licenses, Fraunhofer receives the necessary resources to reinvest in the research and development of next generation audio and media technologies, and, in turn, secure its position as the worldwide leading competence center in the field of audio coding and signal processing.
 
The Audio and Media Technologies division of Fraunhofer IIS has been an authority in its field for more than 25 years, starting with the creation of mp3 and co-development of AAC formats. Today, almost all consumer electronic devices, computers and mobile phones are equipped with Fraunhofer’s media technologies, and over one billion new products are added every year. Besides the global successes mp3 and AAC, the Fraunhofer technologies that improve consumers’ audio experiences include Cingo (spatial VR audio), Symphoria (automotive 3D audio), xHE-AAC (adaptive streaming and digital radio), the 3GPP EVS VoLTE codec (crystal clear telephone calls), and the interactive and immersive MPEG-H TV Audio System.
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