Compton’s Wins Patent Covering Multimedia

A leading seller of CD-ROM titles said Monday that it won a “fundamental” patent covering so-called multimedia programs that rapidly fetch text, images and sound.

The patent was secured by Compton’s Newmedia, a unit of Tribune Co. that now plans to license the technology to competitors that use the invention in their CD-ROM products.

Compton’s, based in Carlsbad, Calif., said it will detail its licensing plans today at the Comdex computer trade show in Las Vegas.

The company said the licensing could take several forms. For instance, a rival could start a joint venture with Compton’s or simply pay royalties to use the technology.

Those royalties, in turn, could lift the cost of producing CD-ROM software and therefore set the stage for possible price increases for consumers. But Compton’s also stressed that it wants to “foster the growth of this industry” and license the technology widely.

“We simply want the public to recognize Compton’s Newmedia as the pioneer in this industry, promote a standard that can be used by every developer and be compensated for the investments we have made,” said Compton’s President Stanley Frank.

The patent appears to be quite broad. Compton’s quoted the patent as saying it covers “a database search system that retrieves multimedia information in a flexible, user-friendly system. The search system uses a multimedia database consisting of text, picture, audio and animated data. That database is searched through multiple graphical and textual entry paths.”