The DVD+RW Alliance on November 9 held a symposium in Taipei in an attempt to persuade leading makers of optical discs in Taiwan to adopt DVD+R/+RW standards. Representatives from Sony, Ricoh, and Philips said that the DVD+RW Alliance charges lower royalty rates than the DVD Forum (advocating DVD-R/-RW/-RAM) and other DVD standards. In addition, they pointed out that the DVD+RW Alliance requires certification by Philips or Sony for licensed use of the alliance's logo, while the DVD Forum only asks for royalty fees for using its logo.

The DVD+RW Alliance also presented compatibility results of DVD+R DL discs with DVD burners of various brands and claimed that the DVD+R DL discs are more compatible than the DVD-R DL discs, supported by the DVD Forum.

Taiwanese makers play a dominant role in the global production of ODDs and optical discs. Panasonic representatives had also visited Taiwan last September in an effort to make DVD-RAM widespread worldwide. In addition, the RWPPI, a group of corporations that support the DVD-R /-RW format, continue their efforts to ensure compatibility of their format with various DVD recorders/players.

It is obvious that the red lasers are playing a significant role in the optical storage industry despite the announcements for the next generation blue laser formats, which will more likely not become a mainstream before 2009.