Technology: Yamaha announces audio codec IC that offers high-quality audio

Tokyo - Kyodo JBN-AsiaNet/ - Yamaha Corporation(TSE 1st Section 7951, Headquarters: 10-1 Nakazawa-cho, Naka-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka; President: Mitsuru Umemura; hereinafter, Yamaha) has announced the development of its YMU809 audio codec IC that brings high-quality audio processing and hands-free functions to personal navigation devices (PNDs), mobile phones, and other devices. Yamaha plans to begin sample shipments of the YMU809 ICs on June 12, 2008.

In recent years, sales of PNDs featuring hands-free functions are expanding. And demand for improvement of voice sound quality in mobile phones is also rising.

The YMU809 improves voice sound quality of mobile devices. In addition to offering high-quality, high-performance audio processing, which is based on Yamaha proprietary AudioEngine(TM) technology, it incorporates echo-canceling and noise-suppression functions that minimize the sound-quality deterioration that occurs in hands-free telecommunication. By
integrating all the necessary functions for sound, which is audio and voice, the YMU809 can offer an easy-to-use system for PND, mobile phone and other devices.

Yutaro Nakano, Director of Sales of Yamaha's semiconductor business, commented, "The YMU809 is an input/output device for a broad range of audio and voice sources handled by mobile devices, including phone voice, navigation voice, music, video and broadcast. We believe there will be major demand for the YMU809 in the mobile device market."

Principal Features of the YMU809

1. Built-in, high-quality audio processing based on AudioEngine(TM) technology Incorporates a wealth of high-sound quality, high-performance functions that give high-quality sound output through small-diameter speakers and headphones, including surround acoustic field processing for multi-channel audio. Also, it incorporates compressed audio decoders for low power consuming devices.

2. Built-in, hands-free operation and other functions for improvement in quality of conversational voice processing Incorporates hands-free functions, such as echo canceling and noise suppression, are optimized for PNDs and mobile phones.
The noise suppression function operates for both transmitting and receiving, and, used in combination with the speech speed control function and voice quality improvement functions based on AudioEngine(TM) technology, the YMU809 can provide voice transmission and reception that is clear and easy to understand even in noisy environments.

3. Total management of sound output and input Incorporates audio quality ADC/DAC, a mixer and wider range of analog and digital inputs/outputs so that the YMU809 can manage all types of audio and voice sources handled by mobile devices.

SOURCE: Yamaha Corporation
CONTACT: Mr Misao Tanaka Public Relations Division Yamaha
Corporation Tel: +81-3-5488-6601 Fax: +81-3-5488-5060 E-mail
address: misao_tanaka@gmx.yamaha.com 17-11, Takanawa 2-chome,
Minato-ku Tokyo 108-8568
URL: www.global.yamaha.com

Business: Yamaha announces favorable ruling in China lawsuit

Yamaha announces favorable ruling and settlement in its lawsuit in China

Tokyo - Kyodo JBN-AsiaNet - The Yamaha Corporation (TSE 1st Section:7951, Head Office at Hamamatsu-shi, Shizuoka; President: Mitsuru Umemura, hereinafter: Yamaha) has announced that the Company secured a favorable ruling and settlement in its copyright infringement lawsuit in China.

Yamaha brought a lawsuit against Deli Electronics (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Shenzhen, Guangdong), a Chinese manufacturer of electronic musical instruments, and three other companies in the Beijing Second Intermediate People's Court in November 2006, regarding infringement of copyrights on accompaniment style data (hereinafter, Style Data), created
originally by Yamaha and incorporated in its electronic musical instruments.

In December 2007, the Court, after proceeding with a portion of its deliberations on evidence, issued a judgment recognizing Yamaha's claims as justifiable as regards the portion covered by its deliberations.

The Court judgment contained the following major points: (1) Style Data is intellectual property to be protected under copyright laws, (2) Yamaha holds the copyright to the 26 Style Data that were examined and deliberated, and (3) The actions ofthe defendants were violations of copyrights.

Therefore the Court ordered them to stop using the Style Data, suspend sale of products incorporating the data, pay compensation for damages to Yamaha, and apologize.

Thereafter, the defendants did not appeal and the Court's judgment was finalized. Following further deliberations, the Court issued a settlement proposal to Yamaha and the defendants. A settlement favorable to Yamaha was reached on April 29.

The Style Data copied by the defendants without authorization was contained in Yamaha's PSR-640 portable keyboard, originally introduced in 1999 and sold worldwide.

The defendants used this Style Data in their MEDELI-brand electronic musical instruments manufactured and sold in China.
Yamaha, therefore, sued the defendants on the grounds that use of Style Data was an infringement of its copyrights.

Regarding the Court judgment, Atsushi Muramatsu, General Manager of Yamaha's Legal & Intellectual Property Division made the following comment: "The judgment was the world's first affirming that Style Data is intellectual property to be protected under copyright laws and that unauthorized copying is a copyright infringement.

"Yamaha regards this judgment as epoch-making and will take a resolute stand against such infringements going forward, while continuing to respect and protect intellectual property."

Source: YAMAHA CORPORATION
Contact: Mr. Misao Tanaka Public Relations Division YAMAHA CORPORATION
Tel: +81-3-5488-6601
Fax: +81-3-5488-5060 E-mail address:
misao_tanaka@gmx.yamaha.com 17-11, Takanawa 2-chome, Minato-ku
Tokyo 108-8568 www.global.yamaha.com