Panasonic, Sony and Philips have announced the establishment of a ‘one-stop’ licensing program for blu-ray technology and are currently working with other patent holders to achieve this.

It is hoped that the less expensive and simplified process will encourage more companies to develop blu-ray products.

Previously, companies wishing to build blu-ray disc hardware had to acquire a number of licenses including a separate license for CD, DVD and blu-ray functionality. The new program will combine all the separate elements together into one single license and subsequently aims to reduce license costs by up to as much as 40%.

The new independent licensing company funded equally by Panasonic, Sony and Philips will be set up in the USA, with branches in Asia, Europe and Latin America.