Huawei agrees 5G cross-licensing deal with Xiaomi
Chinese smartphone rivals appear to resolve patent dispute with new licensing deal | Agreement covers communication technologies including 5G.
Rival Chinese electronics firms Huawei and Xiaomi have signed a global patent cross-licensing agreement that covers multiple communications technologies, including 5G.
Huawei, one of the world’s largest patent holders, announced the deal yesterday, September 13—six months after it was reported that the company had sued Xiaomi in China for alleged patent infringement.
While the status of the dispute between the two firms is unclear, it was reported in March this year that Huawei had filed its complaint with the IPO in China ( China National IP Administration). At the time, Huawei accused Xiaomi of infringing four of its patents mainly related to 4G wireless technology, screen lock technology and smartphone photography.
Alan Fan, head of Huawei's intellectual property department, said of the agreement: “We are delighted to reach this licensing deal with Xiaomi,” adding that it “once again reflects the industry's recognition of Huawei's contributions to communications standards and will help us enhance our investment in researching future mobile communications technologies."
Ran Xu, Xiaomi's general manager of corporate business development and IP strategy, added that the agreement “shows that both parties recognise and respect each other's intellectual property”.
“As part of our commitment to our values around IP, Xiaomi will, as always, respect IP, seek long-term and sustainable IP partnerships for shared success, drive technology inclusion with IP, and allow more people to benefit from technology,” he added.
Other Huawei deals
Founded in 1988, Huawei has in the past signed agreements with almost all the major patent holders in the telecoms industry, including Ericsson, Nokia and Qualcomm, according to the CNIPA.
Last December, the Shenzen-based company signed global patent cross-licensing deals with OPPO and Samsung.
In August this year, Huawei and Ericsson renewed their global cross-licensing agreement, covering standard essential patent (SEPs) for 3G, 4G, and 5G cellular technologies.
Also in August, Huawei was among the first licensors to sign up to Avanci’s much-anticipated 5G connected vehicle licensing programme.
And in a surprising move, Huawei announced royalty rates back in July for its handsets, Wi-Fi, and Internet of Things (IoT) patent licence programmes. Huawei’s chief legal officer Song Liuping said at the time that the company is “willing to share cutting-edge innovations in the form of patents with the world”.
Did you enjoy reading this story? Sign up to our free daily newsletters and get stories sent like this straight to your inbox
