ZTE calls for EU investigation into Vringo licensing

News Wireless Europe 18 JUN 2014
ZTE calls for EU investigation into Vringo licensing
ZTE has filed an antitrust complaint with the European Commission asking it to investigate the licensing practices of Vringo amid concerns the company is impeding fair competition in the telecommunications market. ZTE has been in negotiations since 2012 with Vringo to obtain a licence to its patents essential to a number of telecommunications standards. Vringo is obliged to license such patents on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms, but according to ZTE the two have not been able to reach an agreement. 

The Chinese company said it may pursue further action across different jurisdictions. The two companies have already faced each other in multiple courts for allegations of patent infringement, first started in 2012. Vringo has obtained injunctions against ZTE equipment in India and Germany already and most recently a Brazil appeals court upheld an injunction against ZTE.  At the end of May, Vringo filed a new suit against ZTE in the Netherlands. 

Categories:

Mobile

Companies:

European Commission,  Vringo,  ZTE Belgium

Regions:

Europe,  Global

Tags:

Devices, Wholesale, Licences & sales agreement, Legislation - Lawsuits

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