Given the recent unanimous decision by a UK appellate court that Ericsson’s injunction efforts based on standard-essential patents (“SEPs”) were, essentially by their very nature, “hold-up” and “coercion” that violated...more
Last week, Sun Patent Trust sued Xiaomi in France for infringement of patents claimed to be essential to the LTE-Advanced standard. In its suit, Sun Patent Trust asked French courts to set a global FRAND rate—something that...more
To date, the Unified Patent Court (UPC) has not held a trial involving standard-essential patents (SEPs). However, the new forum’s Mannheim Local Division has now authored its first SEP-specific order in a case between...more
On April 17, 2024, a second Texas jury assessed damages of $142 million against Samsung, more than doubling a previous jury award of $67.5 in a protracted standard essential patent (SEP) litigation brought by G+...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
On June 8, 2022, the DOJ, USPTO, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) (collectively, the Agencies) issued a new statement on FRAND licensing (2022 Statement) providing no set policy regarding...more
The Fifth Circuit recently ratified the right of holders of standard essential patents (“SEP”) to choose where in the supply chain to license SEPs and dealt a blow to the “hold up” narrative advanced by some implementers. In...more
The DOJ is requesting public comment on a new draft policy concerning licensing negotiations and remedies for standards-essential patents (SEPs) subject to voluntary F/RAND commitments recently jointly issued by the U.S....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
The United States FRAND jurisprudence had a recent watershed moment in a decision that is sure to reverberate through the standard essential patent (SEP) world, and specifically SEP litigation in the United States. Earlier...more
On Monday, the Supreme Court denied TCL Communication’s certiorari petition, without comment, appealing the Federal Circuit’s ruling that the essentiality of a patent claim is a question for the jury rather than judges to...more
A Chinese Court recently decided that it has the willingness, and jurisdiction, to set a global licensing rate that is fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (“FRAND”) for standard essential patents (“SEP”). In a dispute...more
12/7/2020
/ China ,
Cross-Licensing Agreement ,
FRAND ,
Injunctions ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
IP License ,
Patent Litigation ,
Patent Portfolios ,
Patents ,
Standard Essential Patents ,
Telecommunications
The recent anti-suit injunction issued against InterDigital in its SEP litigation with Xiaomi is a somewhat predictable reaction to the recent UK Supreme Court decision against Huawei and ZTE. One of the central arguments...more
10/26/2020
/ Anti-Suit Injunctions ,
China ,
Competition ,
FRAND ,
Huawei ,
IP License ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patents ,
Standard Essential Patents ,
Standard Setting Organizations ,
UK Supreme Court
In the latest decision addressing antitrust liability for FRAND commitments, Judge Barbara M. G. Lynn of the Northern District of Texas dismissed a complaint from Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (“Continental”) alleging,...more
9/18/2020
/ Anti-Competitive ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Bargaining Power ,
Breach of Contract ,
Declaratory Judgments ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Dismissal With Prejudice ,
Failure To State A Claim ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FRAND ,
Monopolization ,
Motion to Transfer ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patents ,
Sherman Act ,
Standard Essential Patents ,
Standing ,
Subject Matter Jurisdiction ,
Supplemental Jurisdiction ,
Unfair Competition Law (UCL)
Last Thursday, September 10, 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division (“DOJ”) issued an updated Business Review Letter (“2020 Letter”) to the Institute of Electrical Electronics Engineers, Incorporated...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
8/27/2020
/ ETSI ,
FRAND ,
Germany ,
Huawei ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patent Litigation ,
Patents ,
Standard Essential Patents ,
Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) ,
UK ,
UK Supreme Court
In a reversal that came as no surprise to many observers, on Tuesday, August 11, 2020, a unanimous panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed the decision by the U.S. District Court for the Northern...more
8/18/2020
/ Anticompetitive Behavior ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Appeals ,
Cell Phones ,
Competition ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FRAND ,
FTC Act ,
IP License ,
Monopolization ,
OEM ,
Patent Royalties ,
Qualcomm ,
Remand ,
Reversal ,
Sherman Act ,
Standard Essential Patents
The Federal Circuit yesterday, in a decision likely to be celebrated by holders of standard essential patents (“SEPs”), found that it is appropriate for the jury to decide essentiality of a patent, rather than the judge...more
Germany’s highest court has clearly and emphatically placed SEP implementers on notice that hold-out will not be tolerated, and that implementers must proactively share the burden and obligation to timely achieve a FRAND...more
7/16/2020
/ 5G Network ,
Antitrust Litigation ,
Corporate Counsel ,
FRAND ,
Germany ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
IP License ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patent Litigation ,
Patents ,
Standard Essential Patents ,
Telecommunications
Recent oral arguments at the Fed Circuit suggest that the U.S. may be taking steps which would enhance its attractiveness for SEP patent holders looking to resolve licensing disputes. The Federal Circuit heard oral argument...more
After its recent ruling in Sisvel’s favor, Germany’s highest court on patent matters is expected to issue a highly favorable and detailed decision for standard-essential patent (SEP) owners seeking to prevent patent...more
When licensing discussions with an intransigent implementer break down, SEP owners face a difficult question: what remedies are available (injunctive relief or damages) in each U.S. court (International Trade Commission and...more
12/24/2019
/ Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FRAND ,
Injunctive Relief ,
International Trade Commission (ITC) ,
Joint Policy Statements ,
NIST ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patents ,
Section 337 ,
Standard Essential Patents ,
USPTO ,
USTR
The adoption of multiple, standardized technologies looms on the horizon. This presents the challenge of balancing innovator’s intellectual property rights with implementer’s desire for fair access to technology. As more...more
11/5/2019
/ China ,
FRAND ,
Germany ,
India ,
Injunctive Relief ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
International Trade Commission (ITC) ,
IP License ,
Netherlands ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patent Litigation ,
Patents ,
Standard Essential Patents ,
UK Supreme Court
Litigation involving standard-essential patents (“SEPs”) is on the rise. The now longstanding and disturbing impact of efficient infringement by recalcitrant implementers is the predominant cause of the increase. As many...more
Calculating royalty rates as part of a patent dispute often becomes a hotly-disputed issue, where opposing economic theories from expert witnesses are pinned against one another. As a litigant, care must be taken when...more