Mobile Tag Licenses NeoMedia's Patents

NeoMedia Technologies and Mobile Tag, leaders in mobile barcode technology, announced a non-exclusive patent licensing agreement for machine readable mobile codes under NeoMedia’s patent portfolio. This is the first contract to be announced under NeoMedia’s recently launched licensing program.

NeoMedia’s objective is to create an open and interoperable 2D barcoding ecosystem which will create lucrative and compelling opportunities for all participants, including brands, advertising agencies and mobile operators. By licensing its technology, NeoMedia aims to foster innovation and competition to create exciting new applications and services that will appeal to consumers. This activity will unlock the potential of mobile barcoding to become an integral part of consumers’ daily lives.

This licensing deal enables Mobile Tag to engage consumer brands, advertising agencies, mobile operators and the OEMs that supply them with NeoMedia’s officially licensed U.S. patents. As a charter licensee, Mobile Tag, Inc. recognizes NeoMedia’s contributions to the industry and efforts to establish real world interoperability in the mobile barcode market. Both companies participated in the NeuStar sponsored interoperability pilot program at CTIA in March 2009, and this commercial licensing agreement shifts the marketplace from trial to practical reality.

NeoMedia and Mobile Tag, Inc. are committed to establishing an open operating environment. Licensing arrangements like this are the foundation needed to unify the marketplace and create the scale needed for consumer brands to invest in mobile barcoding as a key advertising channel. Mobile Tag, Inc. is the first company licensed to operate under NeoMedia’s Intellectual Property for indirect mobile barcoding solutions.

“This deal is a critical milestone for the industry and we’re grateful that Mobile Tag, Inc. stepped forward to work with us. It affirms that the market has realized the importance of creating a legitimate, licensed and open environment for all and I believe it marks the tipping point for rapid commercialization of mobile barcodes in the U.S.,” commented Iain McCready, CEO of NeoMedia.

“Mobile Tag, Inc. recognizes the innovation and capability enabled by the art captured in NeoMedia’s IP,” stated William J. Hoffman, CEO of Mobile Tag, Inc. “We are pleased to license with NeoMedia and believe it will spur innovation and adaptation of this technology on par with the explosion witnessed by SMS services earlier in this decade. Mobile machine readable codes will be mainstream in the U.S. just as they are in Japan, France and Poland where they are found on nearly 210 million phones. It is time to get on with it!”

“Mobile Tag focuses on delivery of carrier-grade client software and transaction infrastructure,” continued Hoffman, “while insuring brands, businesses and consumers who use that technology are pleased with the experience.”

NeoMedia Announces Licensing Program

NeoMedia Technologies, the global leader in mobile barcode scanning solutions, has finalized its patent licensing program and begun negotiations with interested vendors.

In response to the successful reexamination by the USPTO of NeoMedia’s "Barcode Lookup Patent", NeoMedia has moved assertively to re-energize the U.S. mobile barcode marketplace by helping lead a pivotal interoperability pilot and initiating a licensing program both designed to unify the marketplace.

"Now that the patent situation has been clarified, we are looking forward to quickly establishing a viable system that provides the critical elements needed to attract advertisers: reliability and scale. Our recent partnership with NeuStar demonstrates that an interoperable infrastructure is deployable now and provides advertisers with a trusted solution that delivers the largest audience in the U.S. mobile barcode marketplace. It was a great success and a real rallying point for the industry," stated Iain McCready, CEO of NeoMedia.

In keeping with its vision and commitment to developing an interoperable global ecosystem, NeoMedia is licensing its technology to foster innovation and competition in the creation of exciting new mobile barcode applications and services for the advertising industry. NeoMedia’s licensing program is available to all participants who are interested in becoming part of a collaborative ecosystem aligned and committed to growing the mobile barcode marketplace.

"Between the PTO ruling and the NeuStar pilot, the interest in our technology and services is spiking on both the vendor and advertiser fronts. We’ve had some key brand deployments in Europe leveraging NeoSphere, our new code management platform and we’ve had strong initial interest in our licensing program as well," said Dean Wood, VP of Business Development for NeoMedia.

NeoMedia has recently requested the stay be lifted in their pending infringement case against Scanbuy. At a pre-trial hearing on April 17^th, NeoMedia pushed for the case to move forward on an expedited basis.

NeoMedia currently has 30 active patents spanning 13 countries, with 29 additional patents pending. These patents cover various linkage methods including: Barcodes, RFID, Mag Stripe, Voice, and other machine readable and keyed entry identifiers.