Nokia’s Lukander steps down; C-IoT royalty truths; Nordics report quarterly earnings; Microsoft blasts collusion case “wild speculation”; 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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After six years as president of Nokia Technologies, Jenni Lukander announced last week that she has left the role with immediate effect and will leave the Finnish company entirely at the end of December. Under her leadership, Nokia’s licensing business scaled up significantly, particularly in new verticals. Patrik Hammarén is stepping in as acting president, and the company has announced a formal search process to fill one of the global IP market’s biggest jobs.
Elsewhere, Ericsson reported a new 5G licensee in its quarterly earnings report, while Microsoft responded to a “manufactured-for-litigation” allegation that it acted in concert with NVIDIA and RPX to depress chip patent royalties. Writing for Sisvel Insights, Sven Törringer published a detailed comparison of bilateral and pool royalty rates in the cellular IoT space, underlining the significant value of Sisvel’s offering.
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.
Legal
The UPC local division in Lisbon declined to grant Ericsson a preliminary injunction against ASUSTeK over a non-SEP infringement claim. UPC’s Lisbon LD denies Ericsson PI against ASUSTeK for lack of urgency, but patent likely valid and infringed – ip fray
A jury in Texas ordered Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus to pay nearly $1 million in damages to patent owner Pantech for infringing 5G-related rights. OnePlus Owes Pantech $1M After Patent Verdict Do-Over - Law360 🔒
Microsoft responded to a Texas patent suit accusing it of anticompetitive collusion with NVIDIA and RPX, dismissing the claims as “manufactured-for-litigation” and based on “wild speculation”. MICROSOFT’S OPPOSITION TO PLAINTIFF'S PI MOTION (courtlistener.com)
Amazon successfully defended itself from patent assertion related to Wi-Fi products in the Western District of Texas, convincing a jury that no infringement had occurred. Amazon Prevails In Patent Trial Over Wi-Fi System - Law360 🔒
Market
Jenni Lukander has stepped down as President of Nokia Technologies. Patrik Hammarén has been named acting president. Nokia announces changes to its Group Leadership Team | Nokia
Nokia announced its Q3 results, making no changes to its full-year projection of 1.4 billion euros in operating profit for the Nokia Technologies unit. Nokia Corporation Interim Report for Q3 2024 | Nokia
Ericsson announced another new 5G patent licensing agreement and projected full-year licensing revenues of SEK 13 billion (US$ 1.25 billion). Ericsson reports third quarter results 2024 - Ericsson
OpenAI quietly published a statement on its website pledging to use its patents only in a defensive manner. Our approach to patents | OpenAI
Policy
Chinese authorities published a draft law on “Promoting the Private Economy”, which includes commitments in areas including standards-setting and IP rights. China's Ministry of Justice and the National Development and Reform Commission Issue "Law of the People's Republic of China on Promoting Private Economy (Draft for Soliciting Opinions)" - China IP Law Update
Analysis/Opinion
An analysis of published royalties in the cellular IoT space underlines the strong value proposition of Sisvel’s market-leading pool. Sisvel | Cellular IoT patent royalties: a closer look
A recently-published study of SEPs in the EV smart charger space generated discussion – and some pushback – on LinkedIn. Robert Pocknell | LinkedIn post
Ericsson and Nokia execs talked about their strategies for video compression and IoT licensing at a recent conference. Nokia and Ericsson executives shine light on video streaming licensing strategies - IAM (iam-media.com) 🔒
Several groups shared resources and content to mark World Standards Day 2024:
InterDigital: How technology standards power new entrants and market opportunities | InterDigital.com
The number of PTAB petitions continued to tick upward in the third quarter of 2024. No relief for patentees as PTAB cases steadily increase - IAM (iam-media.com) 🔒
Codifying the Federal Circuit’s pre-eBay rule has been mooted as an alternative to pending injunction-reform legislation. A Better Way to RESTORE Injunctive Relief? The Federal Circuit Had the Answer (ipwatchdog.com)
US patent owners may have reason for optimism about a potential Kamala Harris presidency. Don’t fear Kamala Harris, patentees - IAM (iam-media.com) 🔒