DiscoVision

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DiscoVision is the name of several things related to the video laserdisc format. It was the original name of the "Reflective Optical Videodisc System" format later known as LaserVision or LaserDisc.

MCA DiscoVision Inc. was a division of entertainment giant MCA, established in 1969 to develop and sell an optical videodisc system. MCA released discs under the DiscoVision brand from 1978 to 1982, including titles from Universal Studios, Warner Bros. Pictures, Paramount, Avco Embassy, and Disney. Most of these companies later established their own labels for the format.

The successor to MCA DiscoVision, Discovision Associates (DVA) was the result of a partnership between IBM and MCA. It was hoped that the merger would provide the basis for improvement of the quality of DiscoVision pressings, but no appreciable improvement ever took hold. In 1981, responsibility for the laser videodisc was sold to Pioneer Electronic Corporation, which made DiscoVision Associates a patent holding company which manages and licenses intellectual property related to laserdisc, compact disc, and optical disc technologies.

In 1989, Pioneer acquired DiscoVision Associates where it continues to license its technologies independently.

DiscoVision's license activities covered Laserdisc, CD, DVD and other optical disk products. A lawsuit in Delaware made it clear that Discovision's patent (David Paul Gregg was the inventor) is the basic blocking patent of the CD format.

As the portfolio of patent expires, the presence of DiscoVision become less visible. However, it established the success of a patent holding company, which other companies are stimulated to generate royalty income from their own patent portfolio.

Executives and employees of DiscoVision have spread out to the IP industry and are very successful.^{[citation needed]}