HEVC licensing and patents
HEVC is technically excellent, but its licensing got so messy that it pushed Google, Netflix and others to create AV1. Here is how the patent tangle works and how it affects you.
Key points
- Using HEVC requires patent licences paid by device and software makers, not end users.
- Unlike H.264, HEVC had several pools (MPEG LA/Via LA, HEVC Advance/Access Advance, Velos Media) and independent holders.
- In December 2025 Access Advance announced the purchase of Via LA's HEVC/VVC programme, a step towards a single licence.
- That complexity is why Windows charges extra, why Firefox took a decade and why AV1 was born.
Why a standard has patents
ITU and ISO video standards are built from technologies contributed by companies and universities that have patented them. Participants commit to licensing on "fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory" (FRAND) terms, but not for free. To simplify, holders group into pools that sell a joint licence.
HEVC patent pools
| Pool | Since | Known terms |
|---|---|---|
| MPEG LA (Via LA since 2023) | 2014 | $0.20 per device above 100,000 units a year, with an annual cap; no content fees. |
| HEVC Advance (Access Advance) | 2015 | Higher per-device rates (cut in 2015-2016), annual caps and free software on PCs and phones since 2016. |
| Velos Media | 2017 | Patents from Ericsson, Panasonic, Qualcomm, Sharp and Sony; terms not public. |
| Independent holders | — | Companies outside any pool, with bilateral licences. |
Exact figures change with every renewal: check the pools' websites before making business decisions. This page is informational and is not legal advice.
From approval to licensing consolidation
- 2010ITU and MPEG form JCT-VC; 27 proposals compete
- 2013April: ITU approves H.265 (version 1). Google releases VP9
- 2014Version 2: 10/12-bit, 4:2:2 and 4:4:4. First patent pool
- 20164K Blu-ray and UHD TVs with HEVC arrive
- 2017iOS 11 and macOS adopt it; Engineering Emmy
- 2022Chrome and Edge 107 play HEVC in hardware
- 2025Firefox adds it; Access Advance buys Via LA's pool
- 2026Standard version 11. UHD terrestrial TV in Spain
How it affects you
- WindowsMicrosoft removed the free decoder in 2017 and sells the extension for $0.99, unless your PC maker licensed it. See guide.
- BrowsersChrome and Firefox only use the hardware or system decoder, avoiding licence fees for their own software.
- Linux distributionsFedora and others leave HEVC out for legal caution; you add external repositories. See guide.
- LawsuitsHolders have sued TV, phone and streaming companies; some disputes led to features being withdrawn in certain countries.
The response: AV1
In 2015 Amazon, Cisco, Google, Intel, Microsoft, Mozilla and Netflix founded the Alliance for Open Media to build a royalty-free codec. AV1 shipped in 2018 and now dominates browser streaming. Even so, the Sisvel pool claims AV1 licences from device makers, which AOMedia disputes. See our codec comparison.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to pay to use HEVC?
Not directly as a user: device and software makers pay the royalties. You notice it on Windows ($0.99 if not preinstalled) and in some programs or distributions leaving it out.
Do I pay to upload HEVC videos online?
No. The main pools do not charge for content distributed free over the internet; royalties focus on devices and software that encode or decode.