Next RDS Forum meeting on 21 & 22 October 2024 at Geneva

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The use of the RDS logos, as standardised by the IEC, for RDS and the US NRSC for RBDS is free of charge. In the case of RBDS a certification policy applies in the USA. Manufacturers wishing to use the logos in the USA must obtain certification from CEA that the products conform to the RBDS specification.

The RDS standard IEC 62106:2009 states in this particular respect the following:

'Equipment using RDS features should be marked with one of the symbols given in annex K.

Copyright of these symbols is owned jointly by the European Broadcasting Union and the British Broadcasting Corporation. These organizations freely grant permission to use these symbols to all manufacturers of RDS equipment to be used on equipment conforming to this specification, in whole or in part, and upon literature and packaging relating to such products.

U.S.A. - Trademark of these symbols is owned by the National Association of Broadcasters on behalf of the National Radio Systems Committee. Manufacturers wishing to use these symbols must comply with the US NRSC RBDS Standard and obtain certification that the products or equipment conform to this specification.'

RDS was developed by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU/UER) as an open system, but some industrial companies hold RDS related patents, mostly on the way they have implemented particular RDS features. These patents should however not prevent other manufacturers to freely use the RDS standard.

If a conflict arises, the RDS Forum shall preferably be kept informed. The RDS Forum will then attempt to convince a manufacturer that has an unreasonable claim, to withdraw it voluntarily. The RDS Forum will also provide technical advice if a controversy with another manufacturer arises. However such advice can reasonably only be given to RDS Forum members. To become a member of the RDS Forum please contact the RDS Forum Office.

Grundig�s EON trademark cancelled by German Patent High Court

0n 11 April 2006, the Federal German Patent High Court in Munich, Germany, confirmed the earlier decision already taken by the German Patent Court in 2003, namely that the EON trademark held by Grundig Multimedia BV, is invalid and thus cancelled for radio receiver products (class 9), given the fact that EON was already a feature of the international RDS specification, prior publicly issued by the EBU and Cenelec to the date of Grundig's initial trademark filing in 1991.

The RDS Forum had first tried prior to the year 2000 to settle the conflict directly with Grundig, but as Grundig remained inflexible, it was then decided by the RDS Forum 2000 to request the cancellation of the initial GermanEON trademark registration. As the cancellation request was still filed within the maximum permissible delay of five years for an objection, concerning the international registration of the same EON trademark made by Grundig at WIPO in 1995, the German High Court decision from April 2006 also invalidated in practice the international WIPO registration.