The European Commission (EC) has approved a patent licensing program that will clear the way for set-top box manufacturers to implement the MPEG-2 digital video storage and transmission standard. The program will create a patent pool which will allow access to certain essential patents through a single license. The EC competition policy unit, headed up by Karel Van Miert, ruled that the patent pool did not contain excessive restrictions on technology. Some of the companies and organizations involved in the MPEG-2 licensing program include Cable Television Laboratories Inc, Sony Corp, General Instrument Inc, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co Ltd and the City of New York.
