Via Licensing Transfers HEVC Pool to Access Advance, Citing Fragmentation
Via Licensing Alliance has divested its HEVC patent pool to Access Advance to alleviate market fragmentation and operational inefficiencies in licensing. This consolidation aims to streamline the licensing process, benefiting both innovators and commercial implementers in the streaming industry. The move reflects a strategy to reduce transactional friction and uncertainty caused by multiple patent pools for the same technology standard.
Key Takeaways
- Via Licensing Alliance divested its HEVC patent pool, transferring it to Access Advance.
- The consolidation addresses market fragmentation where multiple patent pools for the same standard lead to overlapping demands and clashing royalty rates.
- Kevin Mack, President of Via Licensing Alliance, stated the move was "the right move for the ecosystem" to create market efficiencies.
Why It Matters
The consolidation of HEVC patent pools under Access Advance addresses a long-standing pain point for streaming implementers: the administrative burden and cost associated with licensing the same technology from multiple entities. By reducing transactional friction and uncertainty, this move could accelerate HEVC adoption and deployment across devices and services. All eyes will be on how this streamlined structure impacts future licensing negotiations and whether it encourages similar consolidations in other fragmented codec landscapes.
Additional Context
The acquisition of Via Licensing Alliance’s HEVC/VVC program by Access Advance was announced in December 2025 (ip fray, December 2025), with Access Advance assuming administrative duties. This move aims to simplify the video licensing landscape, with Access Advance CEO Peter Moller stating that the ultimate goal is a single combined pool within a year. Moller told MLex (December 2025) that this consolidation was driven by market demand for a "one-stop shop" and he believes it will reduce prices and increase efficiency, despite potential antitrust scrutiny. The transaction led to a leadership change at Via LA, with Kevin Mack, previously VP of IP & Legal Strategy at Dolby, taking over as President (ip fray, December 2025).
Prior to the acquisition, Access Advance had extended its deadline for new licensees to secure current HEVC Advance royalty rates and caps through 2030, originally set to increase by 25% for new licensees in January 2026. This extension was made to allow prospective licensees more time to assess options, especially considering the changes in the HEVC/VVC licensing landscape (Access Advance, January 2026). The decision to combine the pools is also seen as a strategy to fend off competition from royalty-free codecs like AV1, which is gaining traction with major streaming platforms and chipmakers (MLex, December 2025). The consolidation is expected to streamline operations and remove friction from the market, potentially leading to lower costs for licensees and increased earnings for licensors due to reduced fragmentation (ip fray, December 2025).
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