News Release Details

Wi-LAN Acquires Key Communications Patent

05/17/2007

OTTAWA, Canada – May 17, 2007 - Wi-LAN Inc. (or "Wi-LAN") a leading technology licensing company, today announced it has acquired an important and essential communications patent, U.S. 5,761,602, (the 602 Patent), for total consideration of approximately US$1.1 million. The 602 Patent has several claims which Wi-LAN believes would be infringed by any cable modem or cable set-top box used, sold or manufactured in the United States.

The 602 Patent, which expires in September, 2015, is not licensed to any party at this time. Its inventors have signed consulting agreements with Wi-LAN in order to assist with litigation and licensing activities concerning the Patent.

Among other things, the 602 Patent is believed to read on products compliant with the DOCSIS (Data over Cable Service Interface Specification) standards. DOCSIS is an international standard developed by CableLabs, a non-profit research and development consortium. Equipment compliant with the standard is employed by cable television operators to provide broadband Internet access and interactive services, such as Video on Demand, over cable infrastructure.

"This patent is a great find for us,” said Jim Skippen, President and CEO. “We believe it is clearly infringed by virtually all cable set-top boxes and cable modems sold or manufactured in the U.S today. With 2006 U.S. sales of cable set-top boxes alone estimated at over $2.5 Billion, this represents a significant market opportunity for us. As well, many potential licensees of our existing portfolio and the Tri-Vision patents, are also active in the cable modem and digital cable set-top box markets.”

“During the past eleven months, since we changed our business focus, we have significantly strengthened Wi-LAN. We have added strong management and cash, enabling us to make patent acquisitions or handle multiple litigations. Our already powerful arsenal of patents is getting even stronger as we continue to add more potent patent ammunition. A number of negotiations are currently underway with potential licensees which we believe could be completed before the expiry of our Early License Program on July 31, 2007. As our Early License Program winds down, we intend to consider becoming more aggressive with uncooperative infringers.”

About Wi-LAN Inc.
Wi-LAN, which was founded in 1992, licenses intellectual property that drives a full range of products providing access in wireless and wireline telecommunications markets. Some of the fundamental technologies covered by Wi-LAN’s patents include: CDMA, Wi-Fi, WiMAX, DOCSIS and DSL. Wi-LAN has already licensed its intellectual property to a number of major companies, including Cisco, Fujitsu and Nokia.

Forward-looking Information
Certain statements in this release, other than statements of historical fact, may include forward-looking information that involves various risks and uncertainties. These may include, without limitation, statements based on current expectations involving a number of risks and uncertainties related to all aspects of the wireless and wireline communications industry and the global economy. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not restricted to: the almost exclusive reliance of the Company on licensing its patent portfolio to generate revenues and cash flows; that the Company may be required to establish the enforceability of its patents in court to obtain material licensing revenues; that the Company will need to acquire or develop new patents to continue to grow its business; that the Company requires investment to translate its intellectual property position into sustainable profit in the market; that the Company is dependent on the performance of its key officers and employees; that changes in patent legislation or in the interpretation or application of patent litigation could materially adversely affect the Company; and that the Company has and may make acquisitions of products, technologies or businesses which could materially adversely affect the Company. These risks and uncertainties may cause actual results to differ from information contained herein, when estimates and assumptions have been used to measure and report results. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. These and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements are based on the estimates and opinions of management on the dates they are made and expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice. The Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements should circumstances or management's estimates or opinions change.

All trademarks and brands mentioned in this release are the property of their respective owners.

- ## -

For more information please contact:

Steve Bower, CFO, Wi-LAN
C: 613-697-7159
O: 613-688-4898
E: sbower@wi-lan.com

Lynne Bermel, Director Corporate Communications, Wi-LAN
C: 613-864-4058
O: 613-688-4897
E: lbermel@wi-lan.com

With our Interactive Analyst Center (IAC), historical financial data, both quarterly and annual, is available in an easy to access spreadsheet format. View and export our financial statements, non-GAAP reconciliations as well as share information.

Disclaimer

Please note that you are now entering a website directly or indirectly maintained by a third party (the "External Site") and that you do so at your own risk.

Wi-LAN Inc. and its affiliates (“WIN”) have no control over the External Site, any data or other content contained therein or any additional linked websites. The link to the External Site is provided for convenience purposes only.

By clicking “Accept” you acknowledge and agree that neither WIN nor third party provider Virtua Research, Inc. (“Virtua) is responsible, or accepts or assumes any responsibility or liability whatsoever for, the content, the data or the technical operation of the Linked Site. Further, by entering the External Site, you also acknowledge and agree that you completely and irrevocably waive any and all rights and claims against WIN and Virtua and further acknowledge and agree that in no event shall WIN or Virtua, or their respective officers, employees, directors and agents be liable for any (i) indirect, consequential, incidental, special, compensatory or punitive damages, (ii) damages for loss of income, loss of business profits, business interruption, loss of data or business information, loss of or damage to property, (iii) claims of third parties, or (iv) other pecuniary loss, arising out of or related to the Legal Notice, this disclaimer or the External Site

By entering the External Site, you further acknowledge and agree that the disclaimer of warranties and limitations of liability set out in this disclaimer shall apply regardless of the causes, circumstances or form of action giving rise to the loss, damage, claim or liability, even if such loss, damage, claim or liability is based upon breach of contract (including, without limitation, a claim of fundamental breach or breach of a fundamental term), tort (including, without limitation, negligence), strict liability or any other legal or equitable theory, and even if WIN and Virtua are advised of the possibility of the loss, damage, claim or liability. The waiver and release specifically includes, without limitation, any and all rights and claims pertaining to the processing of personal data, including but not limited to any rights under any applicable data protection statute(s).

If in any jurisdiction, any part of this disclaimer is held to be unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, such part of this disclaimer shall be restricted or eliminated to the minimum extent and the remaining disclaimer shall otherwise remain in full force and effect.

Please note the information presented is deemed representative at the time of its original release. Changes in historical information may occur due to adjustments in accounting and reporting standards & procedures.

Non-GAAP Information

In addition to disclosing results determined in accordance with GAAP, WIN may also disclose certain non-GAAP and pro forma non-GAAP results of operations, including certain ratios, operational and miscellaneous data, as well as net income, diluted earnings per share, operating expenses, and operating income that make certain adjustments or exclude certain charges and gains that are outlined in the schedules included in this website. Management believes that this non-GAAP and pro forma non-GAAP information provides investors with additional information to assess WIN operating performance by making certain adjustments or excluding costs or gains and assists investors in comparing WIN's operating performance to prior periods. Management uses this non-GAAP and pro forma non-GAAP information, along with GAAP information, in evaluating its historical operating performance. WIN and Virtua also take no responsibility for third party pricing data provided for informational purposes and certain ratio results formulated from the provided third party pricing data.

The non-GAAP information is not prepared in accordance with GAAP and may not be comparable to non-GAAP information used by other companies. The non-GAAP information should not be viewed as a substitute for, or superior to, other data prepared in accordance with GAAP.

Decline Agree