HTC agrees to settle patent dispute with Nokia

from Bloomberg: HTC to Pay Nokia Royalties to End Smartphone Patent Dispute


“Nokia has one of the most preeminent patent portfolios in the industry,” HTC General Counsel Grace Lei said in the statement. “As an industry pioneer in smartphones with a strong patent portfolio, HTC is pleased to come to this agreement, which will enable us to stay focused on innovation for consumers.”

Many of Nokia’s patents cover technology that’s used across the industry. The case is part of a broader debate over whether patents that cover fundamental technology related to industry standards should be treated differently than, for instance, patents on specialized features.

The Obama administration has come out for limited restrictions on so-called standard essential patents. It overturned an import ban won by Samsung against Apple because it said the ITC didn’t fully address the criteria the administration laid out to determine if an import ban is appropriate.