Sonic Awarded Key Patents for Advanced Interactivity

Innovations Slated for Blu-ray and HD DVD Formats; Expands Sonic's Licensing Potential

Marin County, California (October 5, 2005) - Sonic Solutions (NASDAQ: SNIC), the world leader in digital media software, today announced that it has been awarded several new patents, the most significant of which is US Patent 6,944,621 for dynamic content revision. The Sonic technology covered in the '621 patent allows the updating or augmenting of multimedia content on portable storage media including CD, DVD, UMD, Blu-ray Disc (BD), HD DVD, and flash memory. Originally deployed on DVDs, this technology is now a studio-required feature in the proposed specifications for the next-generation Blu-ray and HD DVD formats. The patent allows Sonic to develop unique features in its professional and consumer applications, as well as to license the technology to content owners, software developers, game console and consumer electronics manufacturers, and other industry partners.

Sonic's dynamic content revision technology allows the publishers of content on portable storage media to update or augment that content over the Web or through a local cache. Game publishers or movie studios, for example, can replace trailers and advertisements or change menu selections, providing a very cost-effective way to keep content "fresh" as well as deliver ongoing promotions and e-commerce offerings. The technology has been embraced by major Hollywood studios for their DVD releases of InterActual®-enabled titles such as Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and Star Wars Trilogy and is expected to be available soon on BD and HD DVD discs.

"These latest patents underscore the increasing technical depth and breadth of Sonic's role in the digital media industry," said Richard Doherty, research director of the Envisioneering Group. "The patents are a foundation of Sonic's strength because they secure the company's Sonic, Roxio®, and InterActual products, which lead their respective sectors and enable professionals and consumers to author, record, and play audio-visual content and data files to and from disc. By licensing its patented technologies, Sonic also offers the entire industry an opportunity to benefit from new and enhanced capabilities."

In addition to the '621 patent, Sonic also obtained a second patent on its Virtual Theater technology (US Patent 6,941,383), which allows multiple users to simultaneously view and interact with a live or archived video event. Deployed on motion picture DVDs including The Matrix and Spider-Man, Virtual Theater makes it possible to host live events including video-enabled chats hosted by directors and actors that connect thousands of viewers over the internet.

In the optical media recording field, Sonic received patents for an image mastering application programming interface (API) for data recording (US Patent 6,882,795), for efficient host processing of data files selected for recording to an optical disc media (US Patent 6,910,038), and for eliminating redundancy in the recording of data files while maintaining multiple links to those files (US Patent 6,910,038). A patent was also granted for Sonic's multi-channel surround sound mastering and reproduction techniques that preserve spatial harmonics in three dimensions (US Patent 6,904,152).

"With our acquisition in recent years of respected companies such as InterActual and Roxio, Sonic has gained not only top brand names and a well-diversified product base, but also a great wealth of engineering talent and expertise," said Dave Habiger, president and CEO of Sonic Solutions. "The patent process is one way that we are maximizing the value of these assets, protecting our innovations, while leveraging our investments to create new opportunities for the future growth of our company and our industry." Information regarding Sonic patents and licensing opportunities, including links to the full text and images of each patent, may be found at http://www.sonic.com/innovation/patents.

About Sonic Solutions
Sonic Solutions (NASDAQ: SNIC; http://www.sonic.com) is the leader in digital media software, providing a broad range of interoperable, platform-independent software tools and applications for creative professionals, business and home users, and technology partners. Sonic's products range from advanced DVD authoring systems and interactive content delivery technologies used to produce the majority of Hollywood DVD film releases, to the award-winning Roxio® -branded CD and DVD creation, playback and backup solutions that have become the premier choice for consumers, prosumers and business users worldwide.

Sonic products are globally available from major retailers, online at Sonic.com and Roxio.com, and are bundled with PCs, after-market drives and consumer electronic devices. Sonic's digital media creation engine is the de facto standard and has been licensed by major software and hardware manufacturers, including Adobe, Microsoft, Scientific-Atlanta, Sony, and many others. Sonic Solutions is headquartered in Marin County, California.

Sonic, the Sonic logo, Sonic Solutions, MyDVD, OpenDVD, and Roxio are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sonic Solutions in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other company or product names are trademarks of their respective owners and, in some cases, are used by Sonic under license. Specifications, pricing and delivery schedules are subject to change without notice.