Ericsson and Oppo will also work together on several 5G-related projects, including device testing and marketing
Ericsson and Oppo have entered a multi-year cross-licensing patent agreement that covers patents related to standards for cellular technologies, including 5G. Per the agreement, the handset vendor will make royalty payments to Ericsson. In addition, the two parties will also cooperate on several 5G-related projects, including device testing, customer engagements and marketing activities.
“This important royalty bearing license agreement with Oppp allows Ericsson to further invest in fundamental communications technologies. The license confirms that the patent licensing industry works and is proof that a vast majority of license agreements are based on business negotiations. It also reflects the mutual respect for each other’s patent portfolio,” commented Christina Petersson, chief intellectual property officer at Ericsson, adding that the company now is set on growing its PR revenues with additional 5G agreements and expanding into other licensing areas like IoT and consumer electronics.
Last year, when Ericsson established a global patent licensing agreement with Huawei that included 3G, 4G and 5G network infrastructure and consumer devices, Petersson said at the time: “A balanced approach to licensing ensures that the interests of both patent holders and implementers are served fairly, driving healthy, sustainable industry development for the benefit of consumers and enterprises everywhere.”
However, when that balance is thrown off, trouble ensues. That same year, for instance, Ericsson filed a lawsuit with a U.S. district court, alleging that Lenovo and its subsidiary Motorola Mobility committed 5G licensing transgressions “in multiple jurisdictions.” And prior to that, the Swedish vendor settled years-long legal dispute with Apple over iPhone-related and other patents.
According to Ericsson, the company has a patent portfolio of more than 60,000 and the financial benefit of this latest agreement has already been reflected in its Q2 2024 financial results.