Context:
- There are currently two major pool players managing High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) and Versatile Video Coding (VVC) standard-essential patent (SEP) pools: Via Licensing Alliance and Access Advance. This, according to many licensors and licensees, has led to substantial fragmentation in the market. Dolby Laboratories is a substantial majority owner of Via Licensing Alliance, alongside GE, Philips, and Mitsubishi (which came on board following the MPEG LA transaction in April 2023), while Dolby, Philips, and Mitsubishi Electric also own shares in Access Advance.
- Via’s President Heath Hoglund today announced that he is moving on from his role at the company “for a new opportunity” at the end of this year (December 15, 2025 ip fray article).
What’s new:
- Access Advance has acquired the administrator of Via’s HEVC/VVC pools, effective immediately, the pool administrators announced today. While Via will continue to administer royalty reporting and distribution over the next several months, Access Advance will assume overall responsibility for the administration of the pools. The licensing activities will, however, initially remain separate.
- Via has also announced the appointment of Kevin Mack as President, effective immediately. Mr. Mack will oversee the pool administrator’s strategic direction, partner relationships, licensing programs, and expansion efforts — particularly in emerging areas such as semiconductor innovation.
Direct impact: The move will create significant efficiencies for the video patent market, Access Advance’s CEO, Peter Moller, told ip fray in an interview today. “I can guarantee that,” he said. The acquisition essentially responds to what the market has requested, which is a “one-stop shop for those seeking to license HEVC and VVC technologies for virtually all implementations”, he also noted in a statement.
Wider ramifications:
- Mr. Moller also revealed to ip fray that his ultimate goal will be to have one single combined pool up and running by this time next year. Already having one administrator running both programs removes friction from the market, but having a single offering will create even greater efficiencies for the marketplace, he noted. This would be a “unique, win-win situation” as licensees would pay less, and licensors would earn more (due to less fragmentation), Mr. Moller emphasized.
- Via will meanwhile continue to focus on its other pool offerings, including those in wireless charging, voice codecs, and, in the most recent area of semiconductors (November 18, 2025 ip fray article).
The Access Advance-Via acquisition
Mr. Moller told ip fray today that the acquisition has been in the works for “quite a while”.
“So, we are very pleased that Access Advance, Via, and all of [the latter’s] board directors have decided to make this transaction happen,” he said.
Responding to a question about what type of rates Access Advance would offer through a potential combined patent pool in the future, Mr. Moller noted that the company has already announced its rate structure (July 22, 2025 ip fray article), and these can only be set every five years.
He noted that, while Access Advance works with Via licensors on a potential combined program over the next 6-12 months, licensees may want to continue paying royalties to both programs (if they are members of both). But it is likely that a combined pool will be welcomed by all of them.
“I would be very wealthy if I earned a dollar every time somebody asked us: ‘Why can’t you come together and facilitate a single pool?’”
Via’s chairman of the board of directors, Andy Sherman, told ip fray today that he is “really excited” about the Via opportunity and can see it delivering value to the industry by “enabling Access Advance to administer both of these programs – simplifying licensing for device manufacturers and content providers”.
“We think about the entire ecosystem as part of our decision-making process, and that is what we have done here,” he added.
Mr. Sherman also said in a statement:
“By simplifying the structure for HEVC and VVC licensing, we will reduce fragmentation across the market and help ensure that essential video technologies remain easily accessible through clear, predictable, and efficient mechanisms.”
During an interview with ip fray earlier this year, Mr. Sherman emphasized that, as pool structures expand, it becomes more difficult to get alignment among licensors because of “different diverging interests” March 31, 2025 ip fray article. But if a pool is doing its job, a consensus can be reached. Leveraging collaborative, multi-party licensing structures is a core way in which Dolby runs its business, Mr. Sherman added at the time.
New President at Via
Commenting on Mr. Hoglund’s departure, Mr. Sherman said the company is “grateful” for his leadership and the contributions he made over many years. The new appointment reflects Via’s continued focus on organizational strength and long-term strategy, he added.
Mr. Mack, who was most recently Vice President of IP & Legal Strategy at Dolby, said today:
“I’m honored to step into this role at such a pivotal moment for Via. Via’s history of leadership in collaborative licensing is unmatched, and I look forward to furthering our mission while supporting innovators and manufacturers around the world.”
At Dolby, Mr. Mack negotiated several high-stakes, multimillion-dollar licensing agreements with many of the world’s leading consumer electronics manufacturers. He also expanded the company’s patent portfolio to more than 8,100 issued patents and 4,200 pending applications in more than 100 jurisdictions across the world during his time as patent counsel.
Mr. Mack holds a J.D. from UC Berkeley and dual master’s degrees in Management Science and Electrical Engineering from Stanford University, and was previously a litigator at Skadden and General Counsel at illumobile Corporation.