Nokia and Oppo They reached an agreement that puts an end to the patent lawsuits they were maintaining in more than a dozen countries. The companies signed a global cross-licensing agreement covering standard essential patents in 5G and other mobile communication technologies. After the agreement, the technology companies will resolve pending disputes in all jurisdictions.
Oppo stated that the specific terms of the pact are confidential, by mutual agreement. However, Nokia mentions in its press release that Oppo will make royalty payments for several years. The Chinese manufacturer will also make recovery payments to cover the dispute period.
“We are pleased to have reached this global patent cross-licensing agreement with Nokia, which includes cross-licensing of 5G-critical patents,” said Feng Ying, chief intellectual property officer at Oppo. “This pact reflects mutual recognition and respect for each party’s intellectual property and lays the foundation for future collaboration between OPPO and Nokia.”
For her part, the president of Nokia, Jenni Lukander, declared that the new agreement will provide financial stability long term to your licensing business. “We are delighted to have reached a cross-licensing agreement with Oppo that reflects mutual respect for each other’s intellectual property and Nokia’s investments in R&D and contributions to open standards,” he mentioned.
Nokia has a portfolio of 20,000 patent families, of which more than 6,000 are essential for 5G. Meanwhile, Oppo’s portfolio consists of more than 5,900 patent families, more than 3,300 5G standards patents declared to ETSI and more than 11,000 standards documents submitted to 3GPP.
Oppo and Nokia end one of the largest legal battles in recent years
The agreement ends a battle of more than three years and 100 lawsuits which forced Oppo to withdraw its phones from Germany. The fight began in mid-2021, when Nokia filed a lawsuit against Oppo for patent infringement. Although the companies had an agreement, it expired in 2021 when the negotiations did not reach good terms.
Nokia accused Oppo and OnePlus of infringing 4G and 5G patents in 12 countries. Subsequently, Oppo countersued the Finnish company, opposing many patents that were not included in the original dispute. The Chinese manufacturer requested precautionary measures against its base stations in Germany, although in the end it bore the brunt.
In August 2022, two sentences from a Munich court they forced stop sales of all Oppo and OnePlus devices in the country. For its part, Oppo won some victories in the courts of India and Indonesia, where motions for royalty payments were dismissed and three appeals to the Finnish company were denied.
The details about the agreement signed between Oppo and Nokia are confidential, although it is known that the Chinese manufacturer will be obliged to pay royalties.