CUPERTINO, Calif. – April 11, 2007 – Alliacense today announced that Sharp Corporation, a leading manufacturer of consumer and information products, has purchased a Moore Microprocessor Patent™ (MMP) Portfolio license. Sharp becomes the 16th major system manufacturer to purchase an MMP Portfolio license from The TPL Group since January 2006.
“The far-reaching applications of MMP design techniques continue to motivate global electronics companies to become MMP licensees,” said Mike Davis, Alliacense Sr. VP of Licensing. “Significantly, all MMP licensees to date enjoy worldwide brand recognition with several ranking among the Fortune 500.” He confirmed that the formative MMP Portfolio Licensing Program is designed to reward early movers in specific industry segments by subjecting subsequent licensees in those same segments to progressively higher royalty rates.
About the MMP Portfolio
Named after legendary inventor Charles “Chuck” Moore, the MMP Portfolio includes seven US patents as well as their European and Japanese counterparts fundamental to the design of modern microprocessors, microcontrollers and system-on-chip devices. With origins that date back to 1980s collaboration between Moore and The TPL Group, the MMP Portfolio today is jointly owned by the privately held TPL Group and publicly held Patriot Scientific Corporation (PTSC.OB).
HP, Casio, Fujitsu, Sony, Nikon, Seiko Epson, Pentax, Olympus, Kenwood, Agilent, Lexmark, Schneider Electric, NEC Corporation, Funai Electric and SanDisk have all purchased MMP Portfolio licenses since January 2006. The intellectual property assets protected by the MMP Portfolio encompass fundamental design techniques that enable higher performance and lower cost digital electronic systems ranging from cell phones and portable music players to communications infrastructure and medical equipment as well as automobiles, which today utilize dozens of microprocessors.
About Sharp Corporation
Since its founding in 1912, Sharp Corporation has fashioned a global name as a comprehensive electronics manufacturer. Focused on consumer and information products, Sharp recently demonstrated at the Consumer Electronics Show the world’s largest LCD TV (108-inch) as well as wireless image-transfer from cameras and cell phones to TVs, and the industry’s first modems for transferring two high-definition feeds through a single power line in the home. For more information, visit www.sharp-world.com.
About Alliacense
Alliacense is a TPL Group Enterprise executing best-in-class design and implementation of Intellectual Property (IP) licensing programs. As a cadre of IP licensing strategists, technology experts, and experienced business development/management executives, Alliacense focuses on expanding the awareness and value of TPL’s IP portfolios. Founded in 1988, The TPL Group has emerged as a coalition of high technology enterprises involved in the development, management and commercialization of IP assets as well as the design, manufacture and sales of proprietary products based on these same IP assets. For more information, visit www.alliacense.com.
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Alliacense and Moore Microprocessor Patent (MMP) are trademarks of Technology Properties Limited (TPL). All other trademarks belong to their respective owners.