Use of the RDS/RDS2 logos, as standardised by IEC, is free of charge for RDS and RBDS equipment conforming to the specification in whole or in part.
The RDS standard IEC 62106-5:2018 states that equipment using RDS features should be marked with one of the symbols given in Annex A.
Copyright in the symbols is jointly owned by the European Broadcasting Union and the British Broadcasting Corporation. These organisations freely grant permission to use the symbols on RDS equipment that conforms to the specification, in whole or in part, and on literature and packaging relating to those products.
In the USA, trademark ownership of the symbols is held by the National Association of Broadcasters on behalf of the National Radio Systems Committee.
IPR and implementation issues
RDS was developed by the European Broadcasting Union as an open system. Some industrial companies hold RDS-related patents, mostly concerning how they have implemented particular RDS features. These patents should not prevent other manufacturers from freely using the RDS standard.
If a conflict arises, the RDS Forum asks to be kept informed. The Forum will then attempt to convince any manufacturer making an unreasonable claim to withdraw it voluntarily. The Forum can also provide technical advice if a controversy with another manufacturer arises, although such advice can reasonably only be given to RDS Forum members. To become a member, contact the RDS Forum Office.
EON trademark from Grundig cancelled by German Patent High Court
On 11 April 2006, the Federal German Patent High Court in Munich confirmed the earlier 2003 German Patent Court decision that the EON trademark held by Grundig Multimedia BV was invalid and therefore cancelled for radio receiver products in class 9. The reason was that EON was already a feature of the international RDS specification, publicly issued by EBU and CENELEC before Grundig's initial trademark filing in 1991.
The RDS Forum first tried before 2000 to settle the conflict directly with Grundig. When Grundig remained inflexible, the Forum decided in 2000 to request cancellation of the initial German EON trademark registration. Because the cancellation request was still filed within the maximum five-year period for objection to Grundig's 1995 international WIPO registration of the same EON trademark, the April 2006 German High Court decision also invalidated the international WIPO registration in practice.