For the most part, lawsuits involving Android OEMs have drastically died down since their peak in the early 2010s. A new lawsuit filed by Huawei against Samsung, however, alleges unlicensed use of cellular technology and software patents in smartphones.
Filed in the United States and China, the lawsuits seeks compensation for unlicensed use of 4G cellular technology, operating systems, and user interface software in Samsung phones. In a statement, Ding Jianxing, president of Huawei’s Intellectual Property Rights Department, said “We hope Samsung will … stop infringing our patents and get the necessary license from Huawei.”
The specific patents involved have yet to be disclosed though some of them are classified as fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory. FRAND patents are meant to encourage wide use of a technology, with companies offering anyone a license as long as there is reasonable compensation.
However, according to the BBC, Jianxing has indicated that Huawei is not seeking a payment, but rather an agreement to use Samsung’s technology. Reuters points out that international property laws outside of China have slowed overseas expansions plans of OEMs. Huawei is currently in the midst of an international expansion with the Huawei P9 and a US-bound flagship later this year.
This lawsuit marks the first time a Chinese company has filed a claim against the biggest mobile maker in the world. The scenario is usually reversed with OEM Xiaomi having to stop selling in India last year after a patent infringement claim by Ericsson.
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