If the license was from Sony to InterDigital per the below press release:
The agreement also includes a patent license from InterDigital for Sony's 3G and 4G products.
Than would a license from InterDigital to Sony read instead:
The agreement also includes a patent license from Sony for InterDigital's 3G and 4G products.
InterDigital doesn't make a product, why would they need Sony's patents.
The patent license, which InterDigital offers to it's licensee's came from InterDigital to a company that supplies 3G and 4G products, in this case Sony. IMHO.
If Sony gave us rights to their 3G and 4G patent portfolio to include in our licensing ... Great!
The clarity I would like to see is how the joint venture factors into the license arrangement quoted above, if at all.