UK Court Grants Interim Licence
Taiwanese tech companies Acer and Asus, along with China-based Hisense, won a ruling from London’s High Court on Thursday in their global patent dispute with Nokia over video coding technology.
The court declared that a willing licensor like Nokia would agree to an interim licence until the court decides the final “reasonable and non-discriminatory” (FRAND) terms.
Licence Terms Set by Judge
Judge James Mellor ordered Acer, Asus, and Hisense to pay Nokia $0.365 per device sold. This amount sits between Acer and Asus’ proposed $0.03 per unit and Nokia’s demand of $0.69.
English courts have recently allowed short-term patent licences pending trial. Examples include Amazon’s dispute with Nokia and Lenovo’s battle with Ericsson, both of which were ultimately settled.
Global FRAND Disputes
Disagreements over FRAND terms frequently spark international legal battles in the telecom sector. English courts can set global FRAND terms following a landmark 2020 UK Supreme Court ruling, as can courts in China.
Judge Mellor noted that Nokia expressed “a firm resolve to appeal” any adverse ruling, potentially up to the Supreme Court.
Ongoing International Litigation
Earlier this year, Nokia filed lawsuits in the U.S., claiming Acer and Asus computers and Hisense TVs violated patents that enhance streaming video quality and efficiency. The company also filed related complaints in Europe and recently settled a separate dispute with Amazon.
Acer, Asus, Hisense, and Nokia did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
