The DVD6C Licensing Agency -- which represents six leading developers of DVD technology and formats, AOL Time Warner Inc., Hitachi, Ltd., Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Toshiba Corporation and Victor Company of Japan, Ltd. (JVC) -- today announced that the International Business Machines Corporation "IBM" has joined their worldwide joint licensing program for DVD-Video players, DVD-ROM drives, DVD decoders and DVD-Video and DVD-ROM discs. The DVD6C joint licensing program was launched in 1999. The DVD6C license portfolio consists of the members' essential patents for the DVD-Video and DVD-ROM formats. DVD6CLA currently has over 120 licensees worldwide.

IBM's membership in the joint licensing program will benefit existing and future licensees of DVD6C, who will obtain a license to IBM's essential patents for the DVD-Video and DVD-ROM formats at no additional charge.