Editing VC-1 (section)

== Legal status ==
Although heavily associated with [[Microsoft]], there are 18 member companies within the VC-1 [[patent pool]].<ref name=VC1PatentList>{{cite news |title=VC-1 Licensors |publisher=[[MPEG LA]] |url=https://www.via-la.com/licensing-2/vc-1/vc-1-patent-list/ |access-date=2024-11-26}}</ref> The majority of patents are held by four companies: Microsoft (324 patents), [[Panasonic]] (122 patents), [[LG Electronics]] (96 patents), and [[Samsung Electronics]] (96 patents).

As an SMPTE standard, VC-1 is open to implementation by anyone, although implementers may be required to pay licensing fees to the [[MPEG LA]], the LLC licensing body or directly to its members, who claim to hold [[essential patent]]s on the format (since it is a non-exclusive licensing body).<ref>{{Cite web | url = http://www.mpegla.com/news/n_06-08-17_pr.pdf | title = MPEG LA, LLC. Press Release| access-date = August 17, 2006 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061113145526/http://www.mpegla.com/news/n_06-08-17_pr.pdf <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = November 13, 2006}}</ref>

Over 92.9% of the patents have expired as of November 26, 2024.<ref name=VC1PatentList />

=== Patent holders ===
{{Transcluded section|MPEG LA}}

The following organizations hold one or more patents in the VC-1 patent pool, as listed by [[MPEG LA]].
{{trim|{{#section::MPEG LA|VC-1 patents}} }}