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Patent royalty fees for use of DVD technology in China set to decrease by two thirds if EVD technology accepted as the national standard in China

Although the development of the domestically produced EVD (Enhanced Versatile Disc) has been the subject of a lot of international controversy, its promoters have now managed to secure the support of China's Ministry of Information Industry (MII) and other relevant governmental departments in its drive to gain official status in the industry for the standard. In recent days, the head of the EVD Standard Team, Mr Dan Liu, is quoted as having said that the team is planning to hold a second conference this month, following which it will submit a draft of the Standard to the MII, which in effect means that "EVD is going to become the industry standard of the National Information Industry."

It is reported that despite the fact that the new EVD technology constitutes the latest in a new generation of media players (of which the intellectual property rights thereof are owned by a consortium of Chinese companies) those manufacturers who make up the EVD standard, will still be required to pay at least one third of the DVD licensing fees payable to those companies (mostly foreign owned) who initially developed the DVD technology, and who jointly comprise the 6C Union.