Huawei Sues Verizon Communications alleging Patent Infringement in US court

Chinese multinational telecommunications giant Huawei which is a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices, sued Verizon Communications Inc (Verizon) – an American multinational telecommunications conglomerate over alleged infringement of the former’s patents.

In a Press release issued by Huawei, it has filed patent infringement lawsuits against Verizon in the United States (US) District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Texas. The company is seeking compensation for Verizon’s use of patented technology that is protected by 12 of Huawei’s US patents.

Huawei claims to have negotiated with Verizon for a significant period of time before filing the lawsuits in Texas, during which the company provided a detailed list of patents and factual evidence of Verizon’s use of Huawei patents. However, the two parties were unable to reach an agreement on license terms.

In the Press Release Huawei claims that Verizon has greatly benefited from the patented technology, developed by Huwaei after years of research and development.

“This is the common practice in the industry. Huawei is simply asking that Verizon respect Huawei’s investment in research and development by either paying for the use of our patents, or refraining from using them in its products and services. For years now we have successfully negotiated patent license agreements with many companies. Unfortunately, when no agreement can be reached, we have no choice but to seek a legal remedy”, said Dr. Song Liuping, Huawei’s Chief Legal Officer in the Press Release.

He further added that, “Huawei is more than willing to continue sharing its leading R&D accomplishments with the industry and society as a whole. This includes both US companies and consumers, because sharing innovation more broadly is what drives the industry forward.”

The patent infringement lawsuit is taking place against the backdrop of Huawei’s legal entanglements with the US government. In December 2019, Huawei sued the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the US, seeking to overturn a ban on carriers from using money from the Universal Service Fund (USF) to buy equipment from Huawei. The US FCC designated the company (Huawei) as a security threat and moved to bar it from a government subsidy. The charges are however denied by Huawei.