Technology company OPPO has announced that it has signed a global agreement with Nokia covering patents essential to the 5G standard and other mobile communications technologies, after the two giants went to court in Germany, Finland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Australia.
OPPO and Nokia. PHOTO Shutterstock
Starting in the summer of 2021, Nokia initiated legal actions against Oppo in the 6 countries, accusing the Chinese company of infringing several of Nokia's 5G patents. Nokia has requested that Oppo stop selling and marketing 5G devices in these territories.
Oppo has denied Nokia's allegations, saying it has not infringed any of Nokia's patents. The Chinese company said it will challenge Nokia's legal actions in court.
In 2024 they reached an agreement and both parties will resolve all pending disputes in all jurisdictions. The specific terms of the agreement are confidential, according to the mutual agreement.
Feng Ying, Chief Intellectual Property Officer at OPPO, said: “We are delighted to have reached this global agreement with Nokia, which includes the cross-licensing of patents essential to the 5G standard. This agreement reflects mutual recognition and respect for each other's intellectual property and lays the foundation for future collaboration between OPPO and Nokia. OPPO continues to support reasonable royalty fees and a long-term approach to intellectual property that supports dispute resolution through amicable negotiations and mutual respect for everyone's value.”
Jenni Lukander, president of Nokia Technologies, said: “We are pleased to have reached an agreement with OPPO that reflects mutual respect for each other's intellectual property and Nokia's investments in research and development and contributions to open standards. OPPO is one of the leaders in the global smartphone market and we look forward to working together to bring more innovation to their users around the world. The new deal – along with the other major smartphone deals we've closed over the past year – will provide long-term funding for our licensing business.”
As the key holder of key patent rights for 5G standards, but also as a global smart device company, OPPO is both an innovator and an implementer of technology standards. By December 31, 2023, OPPO has implemented 5G communication standard patents in more than 40 countries and regions, with a total of more than 5,900 patent families globally, more than 3,300 5G standard patents declared at ETSI, and more than 11,000 documents standards transmitted to 3GPP.
According to the 5G 2023 report published by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) and a report from IPlytics published in October 2023, OPPO ranks among the top companies globally in terms of patents essential to the 5G standard.
