Voice Codec Frequently Asked Questions
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.
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.
You can find the full list of licensors for the Voice Codec Patent License Agreement by clicking here.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Royalties are defined in the licensing agreement. For detailed royalty rates, click here.
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.