Nokia does Transsion deal; Sisvel, Qualcomm sound alarm on EUIPO SEP plans; UK falls into UPC long-arm jurisdiction; Connected device uncertainty; plus much more
Welcome to the latest edition of the Sisvel Insights weekly round-up, aggregating news stories, analyses and data points affecting the SEP world that have caught our eye over the past seven days
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Nokia has become the second SEP licensor to publicly disclose a deal with Transsion, the Chinese company that has built a smartphone empire in geographies where patent coverage is sparse and enforcement decidedly difficult. Now, though, the rapidly growing company is expanding into jurisdictions where SEPs are in play and unlicensed manufacturers risk litigation and injunctions. Where Nokia has led, others are likely to follow. Transsion already has a 5G deal in place with Qualcomm, and a more comprehensive agreement could be on the cards following the settlement of (non-SEP-related) litigation in India and at the UPC. No doubt negotiations are ongoing with others. As well as the licensors themselves, Transsion’s Chinese rivals will also appreciate these developments. They have watched it surge without incurring costs they have had to accept, albeit sometimes reluctantly, and will welcome the playing field beginning to level out.
Elsewhere, Sisvel President Mattia Fogliacco co-authored an article with Qualcomm’s Audrey Scozzaro Ferrazzini on the role envisaged for the EUIPO (European Union Intellectual Property Office) in the proposed EU SEP and SPC regulations. To spend huge amounts of time and money acquiring and then duplicating expertise that already exists at the European Patent Office makes little sense, they argued, especially as Europe is supposed to be cutting red tape and focussing on maximum efficiency.
Elsewhere, a potentially significant first-instance UPC decision held that the court has long-arm jurisdiction over the UK portions of EPO patents, and Sisvel Insights published an article on the uncertainties facing the connectivity sector after a positive 2024.
Please note that inclusion of a piece in the list below does not signify agreement with what is stated in the linked article, just that we believe it is of interest and worth pointing out.
Market
Nokia revealed a new licence with Transsion as part of its latest quarterly earnings report. The Nokia Technologies unit has reached an annualised run rate of over 1.3 billion euros. Press Release – Nokia | Analysis - IAM 🔒 | Analysis - ip fray
Dolby grew licensing revenues 12% year over year following its acquisition of the GE Licensing business. IAM 🔒
Fractus agreed to a patent licence deal with Connect America, a cellular IoT company that makes personal emergency devices. IAM 🔒
Legal
The UPC has long-arm jurisdiction over the UK portions of EPO patents, a local division has found, provided the defendant is domiciled in a UPC Member State. ip fray | IAM 🔒
A UK appellate court ruled that Amazon can request an interim licence from Nokia in a global dispute the spans SEPs and NEPs. Full Judgment | Law360 🔒 | ip fray
Nokia obtained yet another preliminary ITC win as part of its dispute with Amazon. ip fray
A suit from the University of Minnesota accusing the main US network operators of infringing 4G/LTE patents will proceed to trial. Law360 🔒
InterDigital is enforcing patents against Disney in the US, Brazil and Germany, as well as before the UPC. InterDigital - Press Release
Policy & Opinion
A joint op-ed from Sisvel and Qualcomm called on European leaders to rethink a perplexing plan to hand complex patent responsibilities to the EU’s trademark office. The Parliament
The European Commission has initiated a call for evidence to help inform revisions to the Technology Transfer Block Exemption Regulation. EU competition rules on technology transfer agreements (revision)
The EU SEP licensing regulation could be implemented in 2028, a European Commission official said at an event in Brussels. MLex 🔒
By avoiding royalty payments for their connected cars, Chinese automakers have an unfair advantage over their foreign competitors. How China tries to strong-arm Europe on connected car patents – POLITICO
Howard Lutnick, Donald Trump’s nominee for Commerce Secretary, told Congress the US patent backlog is unacceptable and that Chinese “abuses” of the US patent system must end. IAM 🔒
The Trump Administration’s back-to-the-office edict for federal employees could have an adverse effect on the USPTO’s patent examination backlog, it has been claimed. Fork in the road: IP community responds to memo that could “wreak havoc” on the USPTO - IAM 🔒
The European Commission unveiled an EU Compass for Competitiveness identifying patent commercialisation and standards-setting as keys to the bloc’s future. Press Release | European Commission | Analysis - ip fray
Strategy & Analysis
Last year was a strong one for connected device shipments, but tariff talk, cautious consumers and AI tumult create unknowns for the year ahead. Sisvel | Uncertainty for smartphone & PC markets despite a positive 2024
Claim charts play a vital role in the FRAND/SEP ecosystem, so it is vital to ensure they are as clear and precise as possible. The Essential Guide to Claim Charts for Standard Essential Patents | LinkedIn
