Trump makes USPTO appointment; Nokia IP chief confirmed; The IoT patent indemnity trap; EU launches SEP case against China at WTO; 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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In an unprecedented move, Coke Morgan Stewart was sworn in as Deputy Director of the USPTO and, as a result, the agency’s acting head, on day one of the new Trump Administration. She will hold the latter post until a permanent Director is confirmed by the US Senate. That could take a few months, at least. By making this appointment so early, the Trump Administration seems to have signalled a direction of travel, both in terms of the importance it attaches to IP and the stance it will take in favour of strong patent rights. It's hard to believe that a person of Stewart's pro-patent views will be succeeded by someone who holds a significantly different position – especially given Howard Lutnick, another advocate of strong patents, is set to become Commerce Secretary and, therefore, the USPTO Director's boss. Stewart takes charge as the agency faces significant uncertainty from executive orders restricting remote work for federal workers and halting new hires. Both decrees threaten to worsen the examination backlog.
Elsewhere, Patrik Hammarén was confirmed as President of Nokia Technologies, having been running the business on an acting basis since Jenni Lukander stepped down last October. These are exciting times for the Finnish company, with its latest round of big mobile device licences complete and its New Segments business starting to purr. It will be fascinating to watch how it all develops over the coming years.
On Sisvel Insights, meanwhile, we published a deep dive into patent indemnifications in the IoT sector, many of which may not be worth the paper they are written on. There was news, too, that the EU has launched a case against China at the WTO over the country’s courts setting “binding worldwide royalty rates for EU standard essential patents, without the consent of the patent owner”.
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
Patrik Hammarén was named President of Nokia Technologies, making permanent a role he has held on an acting basis since the departure of Jenni Lukander in October 2024. Press Release - Nokia
Ericsson's annual revenues from patent licensing increased by 26% over the course of 2024, the company announced. Press Release - Ericsson | Analysis - IAM 🔒
LexisNexis IPlytics released a new report on the 5G patent landscape and said it is working with 30 leading patent owners to make its patent declaration data more accurate. Report - Lexis Nexis IPlytics
Access Advance plans to announce the royalty rates for its video distribution patent pool by the end of March, according to CEO Pete Moller. Interview - streamingmedia.com
Legal
According to a recent Court of Appeal ruling, the UPC can award patent damages based on a finding of infringement by a member state national court. UPC order | Analysis - IAM 🔒
Policy & Opinion
President Trump appointed Coke Morgan Stewart as Deputy USPTO Director, which means she will serve as Acting Director until the US Senate confirms a permanent head. IP Watchdog
The EU lodged a WTO dispute against China, taking aim at Chinese courts’ practice of setting binding worldwide royalty rates for EU standard essential patents. Press Release - European Commission | Analysis - IAM 🔒 | Analysis - ip fray
Trump administration executive orders instituting a hiring freeze and curtailing telework could severely impact USPTO operations. MLex 🔒
The EU SEP regulation imperils European leadership in standards, writes Orange IP head Lyse Brillouet (scroll down for English translation). Confrontations Europe
The European Commission could be in a position to challenge the UK’s SEP practices at the WTO if Lenovo wins an expedited appeal against Ericsson scheduled for February. ip fray
Strategy & Analysis
Limitations and loopholes in patent indemnity letters can create big problems for IoT device makers. Sisvel Insights | The patent indemnification trap
New one-page crib sheets summarise why Sisvel patent pools rock for licensees, licensors and the innovation ecosystem. Sisvel Insights | Why Sisvel patent pools rock
