Via adds new licensors and publishes Voice Codec pool rates
Via Licensing Alliance (Via) has expanded its Voice Codec patent pool by adding a new unnamed licensee and new licensors, NovaVoice Limited and Cordial IP. The program, which covers Enhanced Voice Services (EVS) and Immersive Voice and Audio Services (IVAS), also published its full rate structure to increase transparency and predictability for implementers. This expansion reflects growing industry adoption of collaborative licensing for critical voice technologies and increased interest from patent holders in licensing through patent pools.
Key Takeaways
- Via’s Voice Codec pool added a new unnamed licensee, expanding the program’s market penetration beyond its original five large global licensors.
- NovaVoice Limited and Cordial IP joined as new licensors, enlarging the patent stack behind the pool license.
- Via published the full rate structure for Enhanced Voice Services (EVS) and Immersive Voice and Audio Services (IVAS) on its website.
- Kevin Mack said the pool is the only collaborative licensing solution for EVS and IVAS technologies.
- EVS supports voice communications across more than one billion active devices globally, according to Via.
Why It Matters
Via’s latest update makes the Voice Codec pool easier to evaluate and potentially easier to adopt: implementers now have the full EVS and IVAS rate structure, not just a partial view. The addition of a new licensee and two licensors also shows the pool gaining both demand and patent coverage. In the broader licensing ecosystem, Via is positioning aggregated SEP licensing as the cleanest route for EVS and IVAS, especially as 5G, 5G-Advanced, and spatial-audio use cases expand. The next concrete signal to watch is whether Via’s public license-fee page shows more licensors or additional licensees joining the pool.
Read full article at developingtelecoms.com