The 1394la organization has announced the terms of their FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 and i.Link) licensing scheme. They say:
The joint patent licensing program for essential IEEE1394 patents is openin nature to all holders of essential 1394 patents.
The joint patent holders include Apple, Compaq,Panasonic,Philips,STMicroelectronics,Sony, andToshiba.
Licensing of these patents will be handled by 1394la, a new licensingprogram of MPEG LA. The IEEE 1394 patents will be licensed for a fee of US$0.25 per system, regardless of the number of 1394 ports per system.
This is a sharp reversal from Apple’s position of $1 royalties per FireWire port a while ago. Current licensees are Apple, Compaq, Sony, and STMicroelectronics. With the patent-holder licensing scheme worked out, we hope to see more FireWire licensees and more FireWire products become available.
