Ericsson and Samsung have settled their long-running global patent disputes with a new multi-year cross-license agreement.
The two companies have clashed over intellectual property several times in the past. The most recent dispute began in December 2020 and followed an earlier confrontation in 2012 that lasted about two years. Both firms filed lawsuits in multiple jurisdictions during the latest disagreement; the new agreement resolves those outstanding complaints.
Christina Petersson, Chief Intellectual Property Officer at Ericsson, commented on the settlement:
“We are delighted to sign a mutually beneficial agreement with Samsung. This important deal confirms the value of our patent portfolio and further illustrates Ericsson’s commitment to FRAND principles.”
Ericsson maintains a substantial patent portfolio with more than 57,000 granted patents and invests roughly $4 billion annually in research and development to sustain its competitive edge. The company reported patent licensing revenue of approximately $958,000 in the first quarter.
Nokia, another major competitor, also reached a patent licensing agreement with Samsung earlier in the year.
The cross-license covers sales of both network infrastructure and handsets, and it applies retroactively from January 1, 2021.
(Photo by 2 Bull Photography on Unsplash)
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