Alliance grows to 43 members
Brussels, 10.12.2018 – The Fair Standards Alliance (FSA) welcomed 3 new members to its organization, taking the number of members to 43. This Alliance of European and international companies is pushing for Europe to be a leader in the development and rollout of the Internet of Things by ensuring fair licensing to standardized technologies.
The new member companies – headquartered in Japan, Austria and the US respectively – demonstrate the global reach of the alliance and reinforces the FSA’s position as a thought-leader in its field.
More and more companies are joining the FSA from a broad spectrum of innovative industries including automobile, tech, broadcasting and telecoms industry.
Paving the way for a balanced framework on SEP licensing that is key to the rollout of 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT), the Fair Standards Alliance and its 40+ membership will continue to bring forward its expertise to drive a fairer and more transparent Standard Essential Patent (SEP) licensing eco-system in Europe.
“I am delighted to welcome these three new companies to the FSA and our network of IP experts. The growth and diversity of our membership shows how much our messages resonate in the FRAND debate, including with large and small companies, and across a range of innovative industries. All our members are united in wanting to help Europe become a leader in the development and rollout of the Internet of Things. They are committed to help build a balanced negotiation environment for SEPs, which is crucial to foster innovation in Europe and beyond,” said Robert Pocknell, FSA Chairman.
About the new members:
- Denso: DENSO Corporation is a leading supplier of advanced automotive technology, systems and components. Headquartered in Kariya, Japan, DENSO employs more than 168,000 associates worldwide, of which about 17,000 are based in Europe. DENSO’s Long-term Policy for 2030 reflects its commitment to responding to society’s evolving needs, particularly in the focus fields of future mobility: Connected Technologies, Autonomous Driving, Shared Vehicles and Electrification.
- Emporia: Emporia is one of the leading suppliers of mobile phones for seniors. The company has been developing its products and intelligent services in Austria since 1991. In the field of innovation and development, emporia collaborates with partners such as universities and design offices in Europe. The products are designed to make mobile telephony accessible to people of all ages, thus empowering them to lead an active, safe and self-determined life. In 2015, emporia launched the first simple smartphone for the target group of seniors.
- Microsoft: Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) is the leading platform and productivity company for the mobile-first, cloud-first world, and its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. In Brussels, Microsoft is focused on creating the right frameworks to ensure that every European can make the most of digital opportunities, without compromising on the fundamental values which underpin our societies. Microsoft supports the value of effective standardization, and the need to ensure that the adoption of communications technology standards is backed by transparency as to the complete spectrum of SEPs and the availability of reasonable and non-discriminatory licensing terms for all implementers.
About FSA:
Background on the FSA www.fair-standards.org
- The FSA is an alliance of European and international companies – both large and small – across a range of sectors but united by one goal: to champion Europe as a leader in the development and rollout of the Internet of Things (IoT).
- Our 40+ members include SMEs, global and European companies such as Volkswagen, BMW, Deutsche Telekom, Harman, Intel, Cisco, Fairphone, AirTies and Nordic Semiconductor. The full list is available on the FSA website.
- The members of the FSA contribute to the EU economy by employing more than one million people in the EU alone.
- The FSA groups a number of the world’s largest innovators. It includes companies that spend billions of Euros annually on R&D, developing technologies, participating in standards development and licensing Standard Essential Patents to others.
- Annually, the aggregate turnover of the Alliance members is close to 2 trillion Euros, and on aggregate our members spend more than 100 Billion Euros on R&D and innovation and have more than 300,000 patents that are either granted or pending.
- The FSA wants to help build a balanced framework for the licensing of standard essential patents on fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms. These FRAND commitments accomplish two goals: firstly, implementers of a standard can feel secure that they can get licenses on fair and reasonable terms, and secondly, the SEP holders can receive appropriate remuneration for their patented inventions.
For further information
FSA General Information: +32 (0)2 2 289 0802, [email protected]