Members of the MHP patent pool have said they are removing the requirement for free-to-air broadcasters to pay licence fees on the interactive technology.
The decision was made public by the DVB Project, which has received a letter from Via Licensing president Jean-Michel Bourdon informing the Geneva-based organisation of their decision.
In its latest public ratecard, scheduled to take effect in January 2009, Via Licensing levies an administration fee of $15,000 per licensee and annual fees on a sliding scale between $6,000 and $100,000 according to the number of receivers deployed in a market.
The fees levied by Via Licensing have been the source of much consternation within the DVB Project since they were first revealed three years ago. It is perceived to be one of the reasons why the MHP middleware has failed to make an impact against rival proprietary systems.
About Julian Clover
"In an industry that experiences rapid change and often a confusing subsequent
constant supply of news, it is often refreshing to read an insightful perspective. Broadband
TV News and its editorial team regularly provide a context and
helpful analysis to breaking news.”
Broadband TV News is the must-read publication for those working in the Business of the Multiscreen Television. We deliver news, insight and data direct to your desktop. As well as our constantly updated website you can sign-up to our Daily and Weekly email bulletins. 
Connected TV Forecasts NEW REPORT. The number of TV sets connected to the Internet will reach 551 million by 2016 for the 40 countries covered in this report from Digital TV Research, up from 124 million at end-2010. The report states that this translates to 20% of global TV sets by 2016, up from only 6% at end-2010. Published in November 2011, this 83-page PDF report is the most geographically comprehensive to ever be published.