Nokia has officially announced the signing of a new patent cross-license agreement with OPPO, encompassing fundamental inventions in 5G and various other cellular technologies. This agreement also marks the resolution of a protracted dispute between Nokia and OPPO regarding patent payments.
The specific terms of the agreement remain confidential between the two parties, and as a result, the financial details of the deal are not currently available.
This recent development follows Nokia's signing of a multi-year 5G patent deal with HONOR earlier in the month, making it the fifth significant smartphone agreement that Nokia has finalized within the past 12 months.
As of December 31, 2023, OPPO has reported the deployment of 5G communication standard patents in over 40 countries and regions. The company boasts a global portfolio of more than 5,900 patent families, with over 3,300 5G standard patents declared to ETSI and submission of more than 11,000 standard documents to 3GPP.
According to the 2023 5G report by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) and a report from IPlytics published in October 2023, OPPO holds a prominent position globally in terms of 5G standard-essential patent strength.
Jenni Lukander, President of Nokia Technologies, expressed -
We are thrilled to announce the successful conclusion of a cross-license agreement with OPPO, which underscores the shared appreciation for each party's intellectual property, recognizing Nokia's substantial investments in research and development as well as contributions to open standards. OPPO stands as a prominent player in the global smartphone market, and we anticipate a collaborative effort to introduce further innovation to their user base worldwide. This new agreement, coupled with other significant smartphone agreements achieved over the past year, will contribute to the long-term financial stability of our licensing business.
Feng Ying, OPPO’s Chief Intellectual Property Officer, remarked -
We are pleased to formalize this global patent cross-license agreement with Nokia, encompassing cross-licensing for 5G standard-essential patents. This agreement signifies the mutual acknowledgment and respect for each other's intellectual property, establishing a solid foundation for future collaborations between OPPO and Nokia. OPPO remains committed to advocating for reasonable royalty fees and adopting a long-term approach to intellectual property, supporting the resolution of disputes through amicable negotiations and mutual recognition of the value of all intellectual property.
