UK court issues decision in InterDigital’s FRAND licensing case against Lenovo

Rhea-AI Summary

On March 16, 2023, InterDigital (Nasdaq: IDCC) announced a favorable judgment from the UK High Court in its licensing dispute against Lenovo, mandating Lenovo to pay $138.7 million for licensing InterDigital’s 3G, 4G, and 5G patents. The ruling covers past sales dating back to 2007, with the potential for additional interest to be decided later. InterDigital's Chief Legal Officer stated that the decision sets a significant precedent in standard essential patent cases. However, the company plans to appeal the judgment, arguing that some aspects do not accurately represent its licensing program.

Positive

• UK High Court ruled in favor of InterDigital, mandating Lenovo to pay $138.7 million for patent licensing.
• Judgment recognizes the obligation of licensees to pay for past infringements of standard essential patents.

Negative

• InterDigital plans to appeal the court's decision, indicating dissatisfaction with certain aspects of the ruling.

WILMINGTON, Del., March 16, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- InterDigital, Inc. (Nasdaq: IDCC), a mobile and video technology research and development company, today announced that the UK’s High Court handed down its judgment in the company’s licensing dispute with Lenovo.

The Court ruled that Lenovo should pay a total of $138.7 million for a license to InterDigital’s portfolio of 3G, 4G and 5G patents, and should pay in full for past sales dating back to 2007. The Court will decide in due course whether additional interest is due on the past payments.

“We welcome the Court’s decision as the first major SEP FRAND judgment that recognizes that a licensee should pay in full for the past infringement of standard essential patents and we agree with the Court that this could be a powerful way of guarding against patent holdout in the future,” commented Josh Schmidt, Chief Legal Officer, InterDigital. “However, we plan to appeal, as we believe that certain aspects of the decision do not accurately reflect our licensing program.”

About InterDigital^®

InterDigital develops mobile and video technologies that are at the core of devices, networks, and services worldwide. We solve many of the industry’s most critical and complex technical challenges, inventing solutions for more efficient broadband networks, better video delivery, and richer multimedia experiences years ahead of market deployment. InterDigital has licenses and strategic relationships with many of the world’s leading technology companies. Founded in 1972, InterDigital is listed on Nasdaq. InterDigital is a registered trademark of InterDigital, Inc.

For more information, visit: www.interdigital.com.

InterDigital Contact:
Richard Lloyd
Email: richard.lloyd@interdigital.com
+1 (202) 349-1716

FAQ

What was the outcome of the High Court's ruling for InterDigital and Lenovo?

The UK High Court ruled that Lenovo must pay InterDigital $138.7 million for licensing its 3G, 4G, and 5G patents.

What are the implications of the court's ruling for licensing agreements?

The ruling may set a significant precedent in standard essential patent cases, emphasizing that licensees should pay for past infringements.

What is InterDigital's next step following the court's judgment?

InterDigital plans to appeal certain aspects of the ruling that they believe do not accurately reflect their licensing program.

When does the court expect to decide on additional interest for past payments?

The court will decide on the potential additional interest for past payments in due course.