Nokia and Honor Enter Cross-Licensing Deal for 5G Patents
Recently, Nokia and Honor inked a significant cross-licensing agreement focused on 5G patents, a strategic move poised to benefit both entities and propel advancements within the 5G technology sphere. This milestone agreement, unveiled on January 4th, encompasses pivotal innovations within 5G and various cellular networks, marking Nokia’s fourth substantial pact on smartphone patents in the past year.
Although the specific terms of the arrangement remain undisclosed, both parties have expressed contentment with the accord. Susanna Martikainen, the Chief Licensing Officer at Nokia, underscored the robustness of their patent portfolio and their extensive contributions to mobile technology spanning decades. Honor’s representative, Zhou Wenyu, accentuated their dedication to preserving intellectual property rights and ensuring equitable pricing for essential patents.
By sidestepping the specter of potential legal disputes, this agreement cultivates collaboration on critical 5G technologies between two prominent stalwarts in the mobile industry. Notably, Nokia has channeled over €140 billion into research and development (R&D) since 2000, culminating in roughly 20,000 patent families, inclusive of more than 6,000 crucial patents pertinent to 5G. This represents Nokia’s fourth significant smartphone patent deal in the last twelve months.
Honor views this agreement as a testimony to their unwavering commitment to nurturing innovation and safeguarding intellectual property rights. The company continues to make substantial investments in R&D, with purported allocations of approximately 10% of their revenue towards maintaining a competitive edge. Moreover, their tally of global patent applications has now exceeded the 20,000 threshold.
This development comes on the heels of a recent ruling by a Chinese court favoring Nokia in a patent royalty dispute with another mobile phone manufacturer, establishing a global benchmark for patent litigation associated with 2G-5G standard essential patents.
Interestingly, Nokia had previously struck deals with Samsung in early 2023 and Apple in July, further solidifying its standing in the ever-evolving 5G patent landscape with the addition of Honor to its consortium.
