OPPO and Nokia settle longstanding 5G patents battle

OPPO and Nokia have settled their legal dispute over the alleged unauthorised use of unlicensed 5G patents by OPPO.

The two companies have agreed to a global patent cross-license agreement, encompassing standard-essential patents in 5G and other cellular communication technologies.

As a result of this agreement, all pending litigation in various jurisdictions will be resolved. The specific terms of the agreement remain confidential as per mutual consent.

Feng Ying, Chief Intellectual Property Officer at OPPO, expressed satisfaction with the agreement, emphasizing its inclusion of cross-licensing for 5G standard-essential patents.

He highlighted the agreement as a reflection of mutual respect for intellectual property and a foundation for future collaboration between OPPO and Nokia. Ying also reiterated OPPO’s commitment to reasonable royalty fees and a long-term approach to intellectual property, advocating for resolving disputes through amicable negotiations and mutual respect.

Jenni Lukander, President of Nokia Technologies, also expressed delight in reaching the cross-license agreement, acknowledging the mutual respect for intellectual property and Nokia’s contributions to research and development and open standards.

She noted OPPO’s position as a leading company in the global smartphone market and looked forward to collaborative innovation. Lukander stated that the agreement, along with other major smartphone agreements concluded in the past year, would provide long-term financial stability to Nokia’s licensing business.

OPPO, says it is recognised as a key holder of 5G standard-essential patents and a leader in smart device innovation, actively participates as both an innovator and implementer of technology standards.

The company has deployed 5G in over 40 countries and regions and owns more than 5,900 patent families globally. This includes over 3,300 5G standard patents declared to ETSI and over 11,000 standard documents submitted to 3GPP. According to a 5G report published by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology and IPlytics in October 2023, OPPO ranks among the top companies globally in terms of 5G standard-essential patent strength.