Huawei signs global patent cross-licensing agreement with Oppo

Image Courtesy: Reuters

Chinese smartphone maker, Huawei, has entered into a global patent cross-licensing agreement with fellow Chinese manufacturer Oppo, part of BBK Electronics, that includes critical cellular patents like 5G.

Oppo is the parent company of OnePlus, and as part of the deal, walks away with global rights to Huawei's most sought-after cellular patents.

Following strict sanctions imposed by the United States and the United Kingdom, Huawei has been in a spiral. During the Donald Trump era, the US restricted access to chips and other technology made by the Chinese company in 2019, citing security risks and collusion with the Chinese government.

Last year, Huawei announced that it would look to sell its patent portfolio to interested partners.

"After more than 20 years of continuous innovation, Huawei has developed multiple high-value patent portfolios in the global marketplace in domains like 5G, Wi-Fi, and audio/video codecs," said Alan Fan, Head of Huawei's Intellectual Property Department, in a press release.

Fan welcomed the deal with Oppo and said, "The mutual recognition of intellectual property value between companies is a major step towards fostering a positive cycle of innovation and research in high-value standards."

"We are very pleased to enter into a patent cross-licensing agreement with Huawei. It clearly demonstrates that the two companies recognise and greatly respect the value of each other's intellectual property. It is a win-win deal for both sides," stated Adler Feng, OPPO's Chief Intellectual Property Officer.

Feng said that Oppo will always "advocate for the establishment of a sustainable, healthy intellectual property ecosystem, where intellectual property licences can be resolved through amicable negotiations and every company's patent value are highly respected".