Access Advance LLC is an independent licensing administrator that manages patent pools for essential video codec patents, including HEVC, VVC, AV1, and VP9. Its Video Distribution Patent (VDP) Pool offers a single license covering all four major codecs with fixed tiered pricing, simplifying licensing for internet video distributors. The company also administers the HEVC Advance Patent Pool with over 25,500 essential patents and the VVC Advance Patent Pool, and offers a Multi-Codec Bridging Agreement for combined HEVC/VVC licensing.
Access Advance licenses a worldwide pool of patents essential to HEVC/H.265 through the HEVC Advance Patent Portfolio License.
The VVC Advance Patent Pool licenses patents essential to the VVC/H.266 and VSEI standards.
The MCBA is not a license, it is an “administrative” Agreement applying only to products that include both HEVC codecs and VVC codecs and permitting Licensees in both pools to pay a royalty rate less than the sum of the two pool rates separately.
Our innovative pool license covers standard essential patents (SEPs) for all four major video codecs currently used by video distribution providers: HEVC (H.265), VVC (H.266), VP9, and AV1.
Access Advance added 12 patent holders, including Sharp, M&K Holdings, Tagivan II, Hanwha Vision and Telechips, to its Video Distribution Patent Pool in the first half of 2026. The company said the additions expand licensing coverage for video decoding, processing and streaming media delivery.
Meta Platforms and Alibaba Group joined Access Advance’s Video Distribution Patent Pool, alongside Meta’s participation in the HEVC Advance and VVC Advance pools. The move centers on licensing for modern codecs including VP9, AV1, HEVC and VVC across internet video streaming business models.
Access Advance has issued a formal statement arguing that UK courts lack the necessary market data to set FRAND royalty rates for patent pools. The administrator warns that judicial intervention in rate-setting could lead to licensor withdrawals and market fragmentation, potentially undermining the efficiency of patent pools like its HEVC Advance program.
Access Advance has announced that Samsung and Sharp have joined the VVC Advance Patent Pool as both licensors and licensees. This move aligns with broader industry adoption of the VVC codec, with six major smartphone manufacturers now participating in the licensing program.
Alibaba Group has joined the Access Advance Video Distribution Patent Pool (VDP Pool) as a licensee, securing rights to the HEVC, VVC, VP9, and AV1 video codec standards. This agreement expands Alibaba's existing patent pool relationship and simplifies the company's legal requirements for its multi-platform streaming and e-commerce video operations.
Access Advance announced that several global technology companies, including ByteDance, Dolby, Kuaishou, MediaTek, OPPO, Philips, and Tencent, have joined its Video Distribution Patent (VDP) Pool. This pool offers a single licensing solution for essential patents covering HEVC, VVC, VP9, and AV1 codecs. Participants cited the pool's balanced framework, simplified licensing, and support for innovation as reasons for their adoption.
