Brussels, January 20, 2020 – The Fair Standards Alliance (FSA) welcomes TomTom, a Dutch multinational developer and creator of location technology and consumer electronics, as its newest member. The FSA is an alliance of European and global companies, large and small, that advocates fair licensing of standardized technology in the development and rollout of the Internet of Things (IoT).
Headquartered in Amsterdam with offices in 30 countries, TomTom is the leading independent location technology provider. By joining the FSA, the company further expands the already diverse spectrum of innovative industries represented by the Alliance.
Paving the way for a balanced framework on SEP licensing that is key to the rollout of 5G and the IoT, the FSA and its broad membership continuously brings forward its expertise to drive a fairer and more transparent Standard Essential Patent (SEP) licensing ecosystem in Europe.
“TomTom fully supports the work of the FSA in its mission to bring a fairer more balanced landscape to SEP licencing. Technology is moving at an incredible pace, particularly in the connected world and it is important that Europe remains a fertile and safe environment for innovators and inventors. The standards that are agreed to make our lives easier and safer should not in turn provide a mechanism to unfairly enrich on one side but stifle innovation due to prohibitive cost on the other. We are pleased to be adding our voice to the FSA,” said Ann Critchell-Ward, Vice President Intellectual Property Operations at TomTom.
“A fairer system for licensing of SEPs, where SEPs are available for license for all companies that want a license, is a critical enabler for innovative European tech companies. Like many leading European technology companies, TomTom shares our vision and we are pleased they will be helping us advocate for the much fairer system,” said Robert Pocknell, FSA Chairman.
About TomTom
TomTom is the leading independent location technology specialist, shaping mobility with highly accurate maps, navigation software, real-time traffic information and services.
To achieve its vision of a safer world, free of congestion and emissions, TomTom creates innovative technologies that keep the world moving. By combining its extensive experience with leading business and technology partners, TomTom powers connected vehicles, smart mobility and, ultimately, autonomous driving. Headquartered in Amsterdam with offices in 30 countries, TomTom’s technologies are trusted by hundreds of millions of people worldwide.
www.tomtom.com
About the FSA
- The FSA is an alliance of European and global companies, large and small, that advocates for fairer licensing of standardized technology in the development and rollout of the Internet of Things (IoT).
- Our 47 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: https://fair-standards.org/
FSA General Information: +32 (0)2 2 289 0802, [email protected]