Huawei files EU antitrust complaint against InterDigital
Huawei files EU antitrust complaint against InterDigital
Huawei has filed an EU antitrust complaint against InterDigital to end its "abuse" of the allegedly standards-essential patents it controls. The company has urged the commission to examine its demands, which are considered too hefty to come under the protection of FRAND terms. The shoe normally resides on the other foot, with InterDigital previously instigating battles with Nokia, Samsung and ZTE. This time, it looks like the Chinese giant was tired of being pushed around by what it's derisorily called a non-practicing entity -- which we've taken to be a polite euphemism.
Show full PR textHuawei Files Complaint against InterDigital for Patent Abuse
Brussels, Belgium, 24 May, 2012: Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, has yesterday filed an anti-trust complaint with the European Commission against US-based InterDigital in which it urges the Commission to intervene to end InterDigital's abuses of its patents allegedly essential to the 3G (UMTS) standard.
As a non-practicing entity, InterDigital is seeking to leverage its declared 3G standard essential patents to force Huawei to conclude a discriminatory, unfair and exploitative license. In both the terms and scope, InterDigital's demand manifestly breaches the policies of the European Telecommunications Standards Institute calling for fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) licensing practices by technology patent holders, and Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Commission.
Huawei has been negotiating to reach an agreement with InterDigital on licensing fees for mobile devices. As it is now clear that there is no foreseeable resolution, Huawei decided to file this complaint.
Huawei adheres to the principle of respecting the intellectual property rights of any third party, and maintains its position as an ICT leader through continuous innovation. In 2011, Huawei invested US$ 3.76 billion in R&D, and by December 2011, Huawei had filed 57,972 patent applications in aggregate, 23,522 of which had been granted.
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