OTTAWA, Canada – August 1, 2007 – Wi-LAN today announced the completion of its Early License Program, announced in October 2006. Under the Program, Wi-LAN offered favourable rates and terms to companies that took a license before the July 31, 2007 deadline.
Wi-LAN estimates that revenues of approximately $75 million will be generated from licenses signed during the Early License Program, excluding revenues generated from V-chip license deals signed during the period. During the Program, several companies that took licenses also transferred valuable patents to Wi-LAN. The Company believes that the patents transferred to Wi-LAN have the potential to generate up to $140 million in future revenues.
“Overall, we believe the Early License Program was very successful,” said Jim Skippen, President & CEO. “When we started our licensing program in earnest last July, we were looking for ways to accelerate the licensing process, since it generally takes 2-3 years, if not longer, from the start of any licensing program to sign the first license. One strategy that we adopted was the Early License Program which we hoped would encourage some companies to enter into licensing discussions more quickly. As a result of the program, we were able to announce five license deals in a span of less than nine months. Equally important, it has brought many more companies to the table to discuss our intellectual property and these discussions continue.”
“Patent licensing takes patience and perseverance but the rewards can be worth the wait,” he added. “As we move forward, we are in an enviable position. We have a strong licensing team, a large, diversified portfolio of patents we believe are essential, and the financial resources, including over $100 million in cash, to sustain our operations and any litigation that may become necessary to enforce our intellectual property rights. We will continue to execute on our strategy of asserting our IP rights and strengthening our portfolio through selective acquisitions.”
About Wi-LAN
Wi-LAN, founded in 1992, licenses intellectual property applicable to a full range of products providing access in the communications and consumer electronics markets. Some of the fundamental technologies covered by Wi-LAN’s patents include: CDMA, DOCSIS, DSL, V-chip, Wi-Fi and WiMAX. Wi-LAN has already licensed its intellectual property, which includes 227 issued or pending patents, to a number of the world’s largest companies. For more information:
www.wilan.com.
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.
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For more information, please contact Wi-LAN:
Steve Bower,
CFO
C: 613.697.7159
O: 613.688.4898
E: sbower@wi-lan.com
Lynne Bermel,
Director Corporate Communications
C: 613.864.4058
O: 613.688.4897
E: lbermel@wi-lan.com