Seven companies have joined to found the RFID Consortium, an organization that plans to license key patents of ultra-high frequency radio frequency identification (UHF RFID) technologies. 3M, France Telecom, HP, LG, Motorola, ThingMagic and Zebra said that the license program will enable companies to develop and manufacture products supporting the UHF RFID Standards announced by EPCglobal and ISO/IEC.

The group said that it encourages other companies “with essential patents” to join the Consortium and include their patents in the licensing arrangement. Under the joint licensing arrangement, all patents essential to the practice of the UHF RFID Standards owned by participants in the licensing arrangement will be made available via a single license on “fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms.”