Avanci signs SEP licensing deal with GM
Patent pool operator Avanci has signed a deal with General Motors (GM) to license a portfolio of patents deemed essential to the 2G, 3G and 4G standards.
GM is the 37th automotive brand to license through the Avanci marketplace. The deal will grant GM licenses to standard-essential patents (SEPs) for connected vehicles across its brands, which include Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac.
Avanci licensors include Nokia, Sharp, and Conversant Wireless as members. It specialises in operating a large pool of “connected vehicle” patents essential to wireless technologies utilised in cars.
Kasim Alfalahi, founder and chief executive officer of Avanci said: “We are very pleased to welcome General Motors, the largest US-based automotive manufacturer and one of the largest worldwide, as an Avanci licensee.
“This agreement demonstrates our focus on streamlining the patent licensing process for the automotive market with efficient, predictable licensing solutions through our one-stop Avanci marketplace.”
This agreement comes off the back of an announcement in March that Avanci had expanded a similar agreement with Volkswagen to license 4G SEPs.
Automaker suit
In February, Car parts manufacturer Continental lost an appeal in a long-running dispute with Avanci.
The judgment from the US Court of Appeal for the Fifth Circuit dismissed Continental’s appeal for lacking Article III standing, claiming that it did not have the right to challenge several of Avanci’s patents that are essential to the wireless standard.
Continental sought SEP licences from both Avanci and the other members at fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) rates but failed to secure a deal, which prompted the lawsuit between the two companies.
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