Implementers of standard essential patents (SEPs) continue to hold out in patent licensing discussions with SEP owners, including pursuing the cynical strategy of seeking anti-suit injunctions (ASIs). This failed strategy is...more
The Eastern District of Texas recently addressed two significant issues related to fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) negotiations under French law; namely, whether: (1) an implementer is entitled to damages...more
Innovators have long insisted that licensing discussions over standard essential patents (SEP) are one sided: implementers often “hold out” in bad faith by delaying discussions for as long as possible. The theory driving this...more
DISCLOSURES AND ENFORCEABILITY OF SEPS IN PERSPECTIVE - The review of developments in antitrust enforcement, SEP litigation, and public policy on the issue of disclosures to SDOs reveal substantial difficulties in the...more
Implied Waiver in the United States - In the United States, a further complication regarding disclosures and the enforceability of SEPs resulted from a recent Federal Circuit case on “implied waiver.” The implied waiver...more
The UK has again demonstrated the ongoing trend against hold-out, approving an order forcing Apple to commit to take a license on FRAND terms, to be determined by the court, or face an injunction. This ruling is the latest in...more
Recent developments indicate that the UK is a favorable jurisdiction that owners of standard essential patents (“SEP”) can leverage to obtain appropriate SEP rates from what would otherwise be unwilling licensees. ...more
Hogan Lovells has secured an important victory for its client HTC against IPCom in a long-running patent litigation battle. In its judgment handed down yesterday, the UK Patents Court has struck out a claim that damages for...more
I find it fascinating that lawyers and other lobbyists involved with SEPs get so worked up in their policy preferences that they start to have blinders that automatically insert their preferences into texts where those...more
Recent appellate decisions coming out of the United States and the United Kingdom relating to global FRAND terms for standard essential patents will likely increase the possibility of forum shopping by patent owners and...more
In the span of two weeks in August, two different owners of allegedly standard essential patent (SEP) portfolios—asserted against the implementation of cellular standards including 4G/LTE—won cases in Germany and in the...more
Implementer Hold Out - Another major development in global standard essential patent litigation was handed down today, as the UK Supreme Court upheld lower court rulings that forced an efficient infringer of essential...more
The US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas ruled that for the purposes of honoring a fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) commitment, a pool member is not required to base royalties for its standard...more
A summary of the European Commission’s Policy Document on standard essential patents (SEPs). After considerable preparations and consultation the European Commission has on 29 November 2017 issued a Communication “setting...more
On April 13th, Judge Andrews in the District of Delaware issued an Order that denied InterDigital’s motion to dismiss Microsoft’s Complaint that alleged violation of antitrust laws based on InterDigital’s enforcement of...more
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) rendered its highly anticipated ruling in Huawei v. ZTE on the enforcement of standard essential patents (SEPs) which are subject to a FRAND commitment. SEPs play a significant role in the...more
In a long-running investigation brought by InterDigital concerning Nokia mobile phones, the administrative law judge (ALJ) on the remand hearing from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit found that Nokia’s...more
The U.S. International Trade Commission recently published the final public version of its June 4, 2013, decision, which states that there is nothing in section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 that precludes the Commission from...more