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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →One-Blue, LLC was a multi-company licensing pool for patents related to Blu-ray and other optical-disc standards. In 2012, it described a licensing program for players, recorders, computer drives and software, and several disc formats, alongside plans to identify and pursue unlicensed products. The royalty examples reported at the time are historical—not a current price list—and the available historical sources do not establish One-Blue’s licensing status or rates in 2026.
What was the One-Blue patent pool?
One-Blue, LLC was formed by 15 companies holding patents related to optical-disc technology. Rather than require manufacturers to negotiate separately with each participating patent owner, the pool offered a one-stop licensing program. One-Blue’s chief executive, Roel Kramer, told EE Times that it covered “the vast majority” of Blu-ray and optical patents, including DVD and CD technology.
That description refers to the pool’s claimed breadth, not to every patent in every member’s portfolio. A pool license covers the patents and product categories defined by its terms; it does not mean every patent held by a member applies to every device or disc.
What products and standards did the program cover?
One-Blue described licenses for hardware, PC software and Blu-ray discs. For hardware and PC software, the program included patents described as essential to Blu-ray, DVD and CD standards. Its stated product scope included:
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- Blu-ray players and recorders
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The distinction between product type and standard matters. A product might implement more than one optical-disc standard, while a disc product and a playback device can have different licensing terms. The general description of the pool does not establish which specific license a particular product needs; that depends on its functions, applicable patents, territory and the license terms.
How much were the reported Blu-ray royalties?
One-Blue/EE Times reported these product-specific examples in 2012. They are historical figures, not evidence of rates currently offered in 2026.
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| Product | Historical example |
|---|---|
| Blu-ray Disc recorder | $12 per recorder, reported by One-Blue/EE Times in 2012 |
| Blu-ray Disc player | $9 per player, reported by One-Blue/EE Times in 2012 |
| Blu-ray playback drive in a PC | $7 per drive, reported by One-Blue/EE Times in 2012 |
| Pre-recorded Blu-ray movie disc | 9¾ cents per disc, reported by One-Blue/EE Times in 2012 |
The examples show that the reported structure varied by product: some charges were per hardware unit and another was per pre-recorded disc. They do not establish the rate for every product type, the terms for any particular manufacturer, or whether those rates remained available after 2012. No current One-Blue schedule is established by the historical materials.
How did One-Blue say it would identify and enforce against unlicensed products?
Customs and distribution
One-Blue said it would seek customs interception of unlicensed products in various countries. The available account does not identify those countries or establish the outcome of any particular customs action. The pool also reserved the right to pursue retailers and others in the distribution chain when products were unlicensed.
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- Up to 16x write speed. Compatible with the latest Blu-ray hardware including Sony, Pioneer, Panasonic, Dell, Lenovo, HP, and LG.
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Labels and logos
For retail players and recorders, One-Blue described carton labels intended to help identify licensed products. For pre-recorded and recordable discs, it described registration logos. These were presented as ways for retailers to distinguish licensed goods; the description alone does not establish that a particular product bearing—or lacking—a mark was licensed or unlicensed.
Did One-Blue sue Imation?
Yes. One-Blue and licensors Philips, Panasonic, Pioneer and Sony sued Imation in Delaware over patents alleged to be essential or related to Blu-ray standards. A contemporaneous release said the aim was to maintain a level playing field for pool licensors and licensees making and selling Blu-ray products. That is the plaintiffs’ stated rationale, not a finding about the merits of the claims.
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The dispute was not limited to enforcement by the pool. A Japan Fair Trade Commission/OECD note records that Imation later filed a lawsuit against One-Blue in Tokyo in August 2013, placing the licensing relationship in a competition-law context. The fact of that filing shows that the licensing structure was also challenged; it does not, by itself, establish the outcome or resolve whether particular licensing terms were lawful.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What does “essential” mean in this context?
Federal Circuit materials describe One-Blue and DVD6C as optical-disc licensing pools and discuss independent analyses of whether member patents are essential to implementing DVD or Blu-ray standards. In this context, an essential patent claim is one a product implementing the relevant standard may necessarily practice. That is narrower than saying that every patent owned by a pool member is essential, or that every Blu-ray product uses every patent in the pool.
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For a manufacturer evaluating a license, the relevant questions include the product category, which standards it implements, the territories where it is made or sold, whether royalties are charged per unit or per disc, and any reporting or labeling duties. The license’s patent coverage and remaining patent terms also matter, as do potential disputes or injunction exposure. The historical examples alone cannot answer those product- and territory-specific questions.
What is known about One-Blue’s status in 2026?
The available materials date from 2012 to 2019. They do not establish whether One-Blue is onboarding licensees in 2026, what current rates or patent lists apply, or the expiration status of relevant patents in each jurisdiction. A manufacturer should verify current licensing availability, terms and patent coverage directly through official, current sources before relying on the historical program description or royalty figures.
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