GSMA Reflects Widespread Operator Discontent With MPEG LA Pa

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Global Trade Association to Undertake Immediate Review of Alternative DRM Solutions. The Board of the GSM Association (GSMA), the global trade association for the world's GSM operator community that serves more than 1.3 billion mobile telecommunications users, has called for an immediate review of the current licensing program proposed by MPEG LA and the companies involved in this patent pool, for use of the Open Mobile Alliance's (OMA) Digital Rights Management (DRM) 1.0 standard.

The GSMA believes that members not only view the 'per device' fee, as proposed by MPEG LA, as unreasonable and excessive but they also consider the 'per transaction' fee as unworkable in the market. The Board's concern as to the potential for fragmentation of services, additional cost, delay and a reduction in future innovation and growth as among the more serious implications of such a scheme for both the mobile and content industries and ultimately for customers.

Consequently the GSMA Board has instigated an immediate review of all credible alternative DRM solutions and their license conditions on the market today, so that a recommendation can be made to the Board and the membership as to those solutions that best meet the needs of the market, industry and consumers. Because of the pressing market need, GSMA is therefore soliciting proposals from all DRM solution providers by 11th April 2005. Proposals will be evaluated and short-listed for presentation to the Board from which recommendations would be made to the GSMA membership.

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