DVD6C Licensing Group
(Authorized Licensor: Toshiba Corporation)

TOKYO--The DVD6C Licensing Group (DVD6C), whose members include seven leading developers of DVD technology and formats—Hitachi, Ltd., International Business Machines Corporation, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (Panasonic), Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Toshiba Corporation, Victor Company of Japan, Ltd. (JVC) and Warner Home Video Inc. — today announced that SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. (SANYO) and Sharp Corporation (Sharp) joined its worldwide joint licensing program which provides manufacturers of DVD products the ability to license essential DVD patents owned by the group's members.

DVD6C has licensed essential DVD patents owned by its member companies since June 1999 (adding licensing for DVD-Recorders, DVD-Audio Players, DVD-R, -RW and -RAM Drives, DVD-Audio, -R, -RW, -and -RAM Discs and Cases in September 2003). DVD6C's licenses cover patents owned by the 6C member companies that are essential for products that comply with the DVD-format specifications defined by the DVD Forum.

Membership of SANYO and Sharp in the joint licensing program will benefit existing and future licensees of DVD6C, who will obtain a license to additional essential patents for the DVD products at no additional charge.

Interested parties will remain free to negotiate individual license agreements with DVD6C's member companies, rather than taking licenses from DVD6C. The member companies have committed to provide such licenses under fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms and conditions.

For further information, please contact one of the following regional agents:

Japan:
Toshihiro Shinohara
Vice President and General Manager
Licensing
Toshiba DVD License Services, Inc.
5th Floor, Sumitomo-Hamamatsucho Bldg.
18-16, Hamamatsucho 1-chome, Minato-ku
Tokyo 105-0013, Japan
Phone: +81-3-5777-3286
Fax: +81-3-5401-2503
E-mail: toshihiro.shinohara@toshiba-tdls.co.jp

Europe and Africa:
Masahiro Ogura
Vice President & General Manager
Toshiba of Europe Limited
Audrey House, Ely Place
London, EC1N 6SN
United Kingdom
Phone: +44(0)20 7421 7610
Fax: +44(0)20 7421 7626
E-mail: masahiro.ogura@toshiba.co.jp

Asia (excluding Japan), Oceania and the Middle East :
Joji Ozaki
Department Manager
DVD Licensing Center
Hitachi Ltd.
Shin-Otemachi Bldg., 2-1 Otemachi 2-chome,
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0004, Japan
Phone: +81-3-4232-5052
Fax: +81-3-4232-5091
E-Mail: joji.ozaki.xv@hitachi.com

The Americas :
Masahisa Saito
Panasonic Corporation of North America
Exclusive Regional Agent for DVD 6C Licensing Agency
c/o Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
201 Redwood Shores Parkway
Redwood Shores, California 94065, USA
Phone: 650-802-3146
Fax: 650-802-3100
E-Mail: saitom@us.panasonic.com

Press Contact:
Junko Furuta
Toshiba Corporation
Corporate Communications Office
Phone: +81-3-3457-2105
Fax: +81-3-5444-9202
URL: http://www.toshiba.co.jp/contact/media.htm