Revised on June 26, 2002

The Rules for RW Products Promotion Initiative Activities

1. Name

2. Objectives

1. To propose standardized product specifications, such as how to indicate recording time.
2. To conduct joint product promotions and campaigns.
3. To promote and secure recording and playback compatibility among hardware and disc products.
4. To promote DVD-R/DVD-RW products for use as PC peripherals.
5. To exchange information on enhancing the efficiency of product development, such as the sharing of information of key parts.
6. To study the recording and playback compatibility between DVD-R/RW and future recording formats such as +RW, etc.
7. To exchange information concerning the trend on legislation for copyright protection in each country.

3. Qualifications for Participation

1. Agree to the objectives listed in Section 2 and be able to contribute to them.
2. Fill out the prescribed application form and apply for participation.
3. Pay the participation fee to the Secretary Office as stipulated by these Rules.

4. Withdrawal

5. Recommended Reference

1. In order to share among the participating companies fair and reasonable recommendations and proposals concerning the objectives listed in Section 2 of these Rules, the RWPPI shall issue its Recommended Reference (hereafter referred to as RR) as the fruits of these activities.
2. The Secretary Office shall produce a draft of the RR in English in writing and, with the majority consent of all participating companies, shall issue the RR under the RWPPI name.
3. The Secretary Office shall distribute the RR without delay to all participating companies, and at the same time, actively publicize the RR to non-participating companies.

6. Freedom of Participating Companies

7. Prohibition on Exchange of Information Concerning Product Release Dates, Prices, or Specifications

8. Openness of Activities

9. Harmonization with DVD Forum Activities

1. RWPPI activities shall be harmonized with the following activities of the DVD Forum, the technical standard setting body of the DVD format:
   1) Promotion & Communication Committee (PCC) activities,
   2) Activities related to the DVD-Multi standard and
   3) Verification Policy Committee activities.

2. Each participating company shall be compliant with the followings.
   1) License agreement of the DVD format and logo provided by the DVD Format/Logo Licensing Corporation,
   2) Non-disclosure agreements entered into among companies participating in the DVD Forum Working Group,
   3) Non-disclosure agreements concerning the purchase and subscription of the Specification Book, which is established by the DVD Forum and issued by the DVD Format/Logo Licensing Corporation and
   4) Other rules governing the operation of the DVD Forum.

10. Language

11. Participation Fees

1. The accounting period of these activities shall be from April 1 to March 31 of the following year.
2. Participating companies shall remit a participation fee to the Secretary Office to cover various administrative expenses of the Office following the procedure specified in this rule.
3. The participation fee shall be \200,000 for each participating company per each participating year.
4. In principle, participation fees shall be paid annually by the end of April each year for that accounting period. For the first year (April 2000 through March 2001), however, the participation fee shall be paid by the end of July 2000.
5. A participating company may request to pay this fee in two installments. In this case, the first installment for the period from April 1 through September 30 shall be paid by the end of April and the second installment for the period from October 1 through March 31 of the following year shall be paid by the end of October.
6. If a new participant joins during the second half of an accounting year, the participation fee covering the remainder of that year shall be half the annual amount, i.e., \100,000.
7. If special expenses are incurred, the Secretary Office may collect an extraordinary fee after consulting with the participating companies.
8. Once a participation fee has been paid, it is not refundable.

12. Representative

12bis. (Vice Representative)

13. Account Auditor

14. Secretary Office

1. All administrative works related to the collection, administration, and accounting reports of the participation fees.
2. All administrative works related to holding meetings and conferences.
3. Issuing, administering, and publicizing the RRs, including uploading them to a web site.
4. Compiling a Directory of Participating Companies, keeping the Directory current, and distributing the Directory to participating companies.
5. All other administrative works required for the maintenance of these activities.

15. RWPPI U.S. Liaison Office

1. RWPPI U.S. Liaison Office, consisting of the RWPPI U.S./Canada members, is located within the premises of Pioneer North America, Inc. (2265 East 220th Street, Long Beach, CA 90810, USA). The office shall undertake the following tasks.
   1) Promotion of RWPPI activities and soliciting new members in the U.S. and Canada.
   2) Maintenance and distribution of the U.S./Canada members list.
   3) Coordination of collaborative joint promotion activities in the U.S. and Canada.
   4) Taking care of mass communication media in the U.S. and Canada.
   5) Informing the U.S./Canada members of discussion development at RWPPI Headquarters in Tokyo.
   6) Other communication between the U.S./Canada members and RWPPI Headquarters in Tokyo.
   7) Notwithstanding the provision in Section 11 and 14, collection and maintenance of money from U.S./Canada members to reimburse reasonable and necessary expense incurred by RWPPI U.S. Liaison Office for its local activity. Such task of the office shall be the subject of audit report to the RWPPI Secretary Office in Tokyo.

2. Any U.S./Canadian company that satisfies the requirements set forth in Section 3 of this Rules is eligible to be enrolled in the RWPPI U.S./Canada members.
3. Enrollment application of the U.S./Canada members shall be processed at the RWPPI U.S. Liaison Office and it shall inform the RWPPI Secretary Office in Tokyo of such enrollment.
4. Pursuant to Section 11, the U.S./Canada members shall pay participation fee to the RWPPI Secretary Office in Tokyo.
5. The U.S./Canada members may be requested to pay for additional expense set forth in Section 15(1)(vii).
6. Other provisions specified in this rules shall apply to the U.S./Canada members except Section 10.

15bis. RWPPI European Liaison Office

1. RWPPI European Liaison Office, consisting of the RWPPI European members, is located within the premises of PIONEER EUROPE NV. (Pioneer House, Hollybush Hill, Stoke Poges, Slough SL2 4QP, UK). The office shall undertake the following tasks.
   1) Promotion of RWPPI activities and soliciting new members in Europe.
   2) Maintenance and distribution of the European members list.
   3) Coordination of collaborative joint promotion activities in Europe.
   4) Taking care of mass communication media in Europe.
   5) Informing the European members of discussion development at RWPPI Headquarters in Tokyo.
   6) Other communication between the European members and RWPPI Headquarters in Tokyo.
   7) Notwithstanding the provision in Section 11 and 14, collection and maintenance of money from the European members to reimburse reasonable and necessary expense incurred by RWPPI European Liaison Office for its local activity. Such task of the office shall be the subject of audit report to the RWPPI Secretary Office in Tokyo.

2. Any European company that satisfies the requirements set forth in Section 3 of this Rules is eligible to be enrolled in the RWPPI European members.
3. Enrollment application of the European members shall be processed at the RWPPI European Liaison Office and it shall inform the RWPPI Secretary Office in Tokyo of such enrollment.
4. Pursuant to Section 11, the European members shall pay participation fee to the RWPPI Secretary Office in Tokyo.
5. The European members may be requested to pay for additional expense set forth in Section 15bis.(1)(vii).
6. Other provisions specified in this rules shall apply to the European members except Section 10.

16. Registration of representatives of participating companies

17. Revision of These Rules

(End of the Rules)

Revision History

Creation of Section 12bis. to establish “Vice Representative”,
Modification of Section 5(1)(2)(3), Section 6 and Section 14(3) to rename "Recommended Standard" to "Recommended Reference" were approved, and Creation of Section 15bis. to establish RWPPI European Liaison Office.