Use Patent Analytics to Determine Who is Leading the Versatile Video Coding Race

Use Patent Analytics to Determine Who is Leading the Versatile Video Coding Race

July 10, 2024

Efficient video compression plays a crucial role in ongoing economic advancement worldwide. Streaming services, virtual conferencing, and online advertising have rapidly increased and are predicted to continue to grow. Versatile Video Coding (VVC, H.266) represents a significant leap forward in this technology compared to its predecessors AVC (h.264) and HEVC (H2.65). VVC provides a 50% improvement in video coding efficiency, and it supports ultra-high-definition formats.

There is a lack of transparency on AVC/HEVC/VVC patents as the standards bodies do not require SEP owners to declare specific patents. It is estimated that only one-third of the HEVC/VVC patents are publicly disclosed in specific patent declarations. This leaves patent professionals to work with incomplete data.

To identify these undeclared patents LexisNexis® IPlytics used the LexisNexis® PatentSight+ Classification (powered by Cipher) to identify video-standard related patents. We identified the cumulative number of worldwide active and granted (in at least one patent office) HEVC/VVC related patent families by year of first publication. Using the Patent Asset Index to measure a portfolio’s innovation strength we can identify the top HEVC/VVC related patent owners by share of standard-related families and the top contributing companies by the number of technical and incorporated Versatile Video Coding contributions approved by the Joint Video Exploration Team (JVET).

The data on HEVC/VVC licensors and listed licensees indicate that licensing video codec patents is a global endeavor, with technology leaders from the U.S. and China prominently represented on both sides of the table.

A comprehensive understanding of the HEVC/VVC patent landscape obtained through patent analytics provides manufacturers with the information needed to negotiate royalties and effectively plan their IP budgets. The LexisNexis IPlytics patent landscape reveals related patents that are not listed publicly, providing a more thorough understanding.

The patent landscape enables portfolio managers to:

  • Identify strengths and weaknesses of their HEVC/VVC patent portfolio
  • Benchmark portfolios against competitors
  • Make informed decisions on portfolio development and maintenance

Patent licensing departments can use the landscape to:

  • Present HEVC/VVC portfolio shares in SEP licensing negotiations
  • Monitor market and ownership changes
  • Focus resources on valuable, licensable patents

Learn how creating a comprehensive patent landscape with PatentSight+ can result in a more thorough understanding allowing for better informed decisions.

Learn more about the VVC Codec Patent Landscape.

See how to navigate the world of Standard Essential Patents and standards’ contributions with Iplytics.

New Report

Who Is Leading the VVC Patent Race?

The VVC codec patent landscape is complex, with multiple patent pools and varying rules across jurisdictions. This report provides strategic insights into competitor portfolios, helping companies make informed IP decisions and stay competitive in the high-resolution video market.

Was this post helpful?