- Question
DRM is often said to be “open”? Does this mean that no license is required?
(Indian manufacturer)
- Answer
“Open” means that the DRM technology, recommended by ITU and ETSI, is available for implementation by anyone anywhere in the world without an approval or license from the not-for-profit DRM Consortium. License and royalty are two different things. Any technology requires some IP royalties. DRM is upfront and clear that the technology components used in DRM require the payment of IP royalties and thus there is some small cost (in some cases tiny, depending on volume and market) to be considered by manufacturers of DRM radio sets. For full information check vialicensing.com. The obligation for manufacturers to pay those royalties does not limit their access to the full technology specification or prevents them from building their own products.