INSIDE Secure Launches NFC Patent Licensing Program with France Brevets

AIX-EN-PROVENCE, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)--INSIDE Secure (NYSE Euronext Paris FR0010291245 – INSD.PA), a pioneer and leader in semiconductor solutions for secure transactions and digital identity, today announced the launch of a near field communication (NFC) patent licensing program with France Brevets, the first investment fund dedicated to patent promotion and monetization in Europe. The program will make the INSIDE Secure NFC patents available to device manufacturers building the next generation of products that will support a wide range of contactless payment, transit, access control, loyalty, ticketing and other services.

“We are extremely proud to support one of the leading French technology companies”

Under this agreement, France Brevets will manage and lead all the efforts under the NFC licensing program. France Brevets will give device manufacturers access to the INSIDE Secure NFC patents, which include both essential and implementation-specific approaches for NFC. The licensing program will address multiple categories of NFC device manufacturers, such as those making smartphones, feature phones, tablets, laptops, PCs, TVs and smart meters.

“We are delighted to announce this strategic agreement with France Brevets and to be able to give the industry access to the unique NFC technologies developed by INSIDE Secure over the last 12 years under fair and reasonable conditions. We value the long-term approach taken by France Brevets and their commitment to deliver value over the technology adoption cycle,” said Remy de Tonnac CEO of INSIDE Secure.

“We are extremely proud to support one of the leading French technology companies,” said Jean-Charles Hourcade, general manager of France Brevets. “We are enthusiastic about launching this licensing program which will both foster a rich ecosystem and ensure a legitimate reward to INSIDE Secure for their investment in research.”

INSIDE Secure’s market-leading SecuRead® and MicroRead® products take advantage of these NFC patents. INSIDE’s current and future device manufacturer customers, therefore, benefit directly from purchasing these products without the need for separate patent licensing.

France Brevets has already started to rollout the licensing program. Details of the licensed, patents, licensing terms and conditions are available upon request from France Brevets at [e-mail].

About Near Field Communication

Near field communication is a standards-based, short-range (a few centimeters) wireless connectivity technology that enables simple and safe two-way interactions between electronic devices. Typically, near field communications is used for contactless communications between a handset and a terminal.

NFC is based on radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies, developed in the 1990s. Engineers at INSIDE Secure have played a central role in developing research and obtaining patents covering essential NFC technologies. Along with INSIDE Secure, Nokia, Sony and Philips (now NXP) also played roles in developing this technology from the beginning with RFID, and then NFC developments.

About INSIDE Secure

INSIDE Secure (NYSE Euronext Paris FR0010291245 – INSD.PA), is a leading designer, developer and supplier of semiconductors, embedded software and platforms for secure transactions and digital security. INSIDE mobile NFC, secure payment and digital security products provide security for a wide range of information processing, storage and transmission applications. The company’s customers are found in a wide range of markets including mobile payment, identification documents, access control, transit, electronic device manufacturing, pay television and mobile service operators. For more information, visit www.insidesecure.com.

About France Brevets

Created in March 2010, France Brevets is the first investment fund fully dedicated to patent promotion and monetization in Europe. Funded with €100 million, France Brevets deploys a broad array of legal, financial, technical and commercial resources, leverages its resources and network of worldwide best-in-class experts, working for the purpose of monetizing patents or acquiring patent rights for innovative ecosystems to secure rights protecting freedom to operate. For more information, visit www.francebrevets.com.