If your company is planning to use the SD standards to manufacture its own memory cards or host products, or use the SD standards in the R&D phase, your company is required to go through the appropriate procedure below.

Planning and Manufacture of Memory Cards

If your company is planning to use SD standards to develop or manufacture (including outsourced manufacturing) SD memory cards (eg. flash memory cards, ROM cards, SD I/O combination cards, miniSD cards, or microSD cards), your company will need licenses for the intellectual property essential to a compliant implementation of the SD standard. The licenses are available for the convenience of licensees (including without limitation) through SD-3C LLC, the 4C Entity, LLC and SD Association.

  1. Execute an SD Association Membership Agreement (SDAMA) with the SD Association and become a member
  2. Execute an SD Association License Agreement (SDALA) with the SD Association
  3. Contact the SD-3C LLC by email (in English) to execute a Card License Agreement (CLA) with the SD-3C LLC*.
    Mail to: admin@sd-3c.com
  4. Execute a Copy Protection for Recordable Media (CPRM) License by contacting the 4C Entity, LLC by email (in English) or via the website. CPRM: Copy Protection for Recordable Media
    Mail to: info@lmicp.com   URL: www.4centity.com

Planning and Manufacture of Host Products and Ancillary Products

If your company is planning to use SD standards to develop or manufacture SD standard host products (eg. cell phones, cameras or computers) or SD ancillary products (Adapters, SD I/O cards, etc.), your company will need licenses for the intellectual property essential to a compliant implementation of the SD standard. The licenses are available for the convenience of licensees (including without limitation) through SD-3C LLC and the SD Association.

  1. Execute an SD Association Membership Agreement (SDAMA) with the SD Association and become a member
  2. Execute an SD Association License Agreement (SDALA) with the SD Association
  3. Contact the SD-3C LLC by email (in English) to execute an SD Host and Ancillary Product License Agreement (HALA) with the SD-3C LLC.*
    Mail to:admin@sd-3c.com

Usage at the Research and Development Phase

If your company has not yet joined the SD Association and wishes to use the SD specifications in the R&D phase of products, you can enter into a one year (non-membership) license agreement by completing the following steps.

  1. Complete a joint Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)  with the SD Association and SD-3C LLC
  2. Make payment of US$1000 to the SD Association

If your company becomes a member of the SD Association within ninety (90) days of the effective date of the Non-Disclosure Agreement, then the SD Association will credit the $1000 fee towards your membership.

*The Card License Agreement (CLA) and SD Host and Ancillary Product License Agreement (HALA) are provided for the convenience of the licensed party (licensee). None of the provisions of these License Agreements shall be construed as denying the possibility of the acquisition of necessary intellectual property through individual license agreements with the owners of basic patents and their related trademark rights, copyrights, and design patents.

[Disclaimers]
Each company considering executing any license has the obligation to understand and interpret license agreements themselves and should seek the advice of their own legal counsel as necessary. Furthermore, any information provided by the SD Association is provided merely as reference and should not be regarded as authoritative. You are solely responsible for determining the need for, and applicability of, various SD technology licenses to your particular situation, determining the scope and validity of the rights being licensed, and the negotiation of any license agreements with such third parties.
The SD Association is not responsible for administering or negotiating the terms of licenses with third-parties (including without limitation the SD-3C LLC or the 4C Entity, LLC) or identifying license rights for particular product implementations. Please see the License Assurance and Disclosure statements filled by third-parties with the SD Association regarding approved third-party intellectual property applicable to SD Specifications. The implementer is solely responsible for identifying, evaluating, negotiating and acquiring licenses to third party intellectual property required for product implementations.