Nokia and vivo settle 5G patent dispute
Nokia Oyj has signed a multi-year patent cross-license agreement with Chinese smartphone maker vivo. The agreement resolves all pending patent litigation between the two parties globally.
Espoo, Finland – Nokia announced Monday that it has entered into a multi-year patent cross-license agreement with Chinese smartphone manufacturer vivo. Under the terms, vivo will make royalty payments to Nokia, along with catch-up payments to cover the dispute period. The deal resolves all outstanding patent litigation between the parties in all jurisdictions.
The specific terms of the agreement remain confidential, as mutually agreed upon by Nokia and vivo. Nokia stated that the agreement is consistent with its previously disclosed financial assumptions for its Nokia Technologies business. The company expects to begin recognizing net sales from this agreement, including the catch-up payments, starting in the first quarter of 2024.
This marks the sixth major smartphone patent license agreement Nokia has concluded in the past thirteen months, signaling the near completion of its smartphone licensing renewal cycle. The company highlighted that the agreement underscores Nokia's significant contribution to essential mobile technologies and provides long-term stability for its licensing business.
Nokia's patent portfolio is built upon approximately €150 billion invested in research and development since 2000, comprising around 20,000 patent families, with over 6,000 declared essential to 5G technology. The company aims to license its inventions on fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms, fostering industry innovation.