[DMCA-Activists] China Adopts EVD as National DVD Standard

[Seth Johnson]

(Article texts pasted below.  -- Seth)

> http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20050225A7044.html
> http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-02/25/content_2618207.htm

---

> http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20050225A7044.html

China adopts EVD as national DVD standard


By Eric Chang, Taipei; Adam Hwang, DigiTimes.com
Friday 25 February 2005


China’s Ministry of Information Industry (MII) announced on its
Chinese-language website on February 23 the adoption of the
domestically developed EVD (enhanced versatile disc) as a
national DVD-player standard.

MII intends EVD to be a guideline for China-based makers in their
development and production of ICs, software, discs and players
for high-definition digital video entertainment. MII also intends
EVD to be a means of freeing Chinese makers from having to pay
DVD royalties to the 3C alliance and the 6C alliance, the local
media Xinhua Online pointed out. A number of China-based makers
of DVD players, including Amoi Electronics, Nanjing Panda
Electronics and SVA Information Industry, are paying a royalty of
US$10 per exported DVD player to the two groups of patent owners,
Xinhua Online noted.

MII’s decision is expected to frustrate the R&D of HVD
(high-definition versatile disc) and HDV (high-definition digital
video) technology, two other domestically developed DVD formats
in competition for MII’s recognition as a national standard,
according to Xinhua Online.

Taiwan-based makers of optical disc drives think, however, that
EVD players for export will still be subject to royalty charges
because EVD is not really different, in its physical properties,
from the existing DVD format.

---

> http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-02/25/content_2618207.htm


Homegrown technology chosen as standard


www.chinaview.cn 2005-02-25 11:18:19


    BEIJING, Feb. 25 -- China had chosen domestically developed
enhanced versatile disc (EVD) technology as the national standard
for the country's electronics industry, the industry regulator
said on its Web site.

    “The standard is set as a guideline for development and
production of chips, software, discs and players related to
high-definition digital video entertainment,” the Ministry of
Information Industry said. No further details were provided.

    Domestic media said Thursday that the official recognition of
the EVD standard was an important step for China to protect the
country’s high-definition product manufacturers.

    “Domestic producers of movie players are no longer completely
subject to the high royalty charges by foreign patent holders,”
Liu Dan, an official in charge of the EVD tests, said, according
to a Xinhua report.

    EVD technology, developed by Fuguo Digital Co., would help
China have a say in the international trade and become a
technical barrier to protect the Chinese industry and market,
Xinhua said.

    China’s production of disc players would reach 10 million
units, with 200 million EVD movie discs available by the end of
this year, Xinhua said.

    Chinese DVD player manufacturers, including Amoi Electronics
Co., Nanjing Panda Electronics Co. and SVA Information Industry
Co., are paying US$10 on each exported DVD player as royalties to
two groups of foreign companies that own the proprietary
technology.

    They are known as the 3C alliance, made up of Royal Philips
Electronics NV, Sony Corp. and Pioneer, with the 6C alliance
comprising of Hitachi, JVC, Mitsubishi, Matsushita, Time Warner
and Toshiba. Enditem

(Source: Shenzhen Daily/Agencies)

-- 

DRM is Theft!  We are the Stakeholders!

New Yorkers for Fair Use
http://www.nyfairuse.org

[CC] Counter-copyright: http://realmeasures.dyndns.org/cc

I reserve no rights restricting copying, modification or
distribution of this incidentally recorded communication. 
Original authorship should be attributed reasonably, but only so
far as such an expectation might hold for usual practice in
ordinary social discourse to which one holds no claim of
exclusive rights.