Taiwanese manufacturer ASUS takes Samsung to court for patent infringement. He accuses the Korean firm of using its technology relating to 4G and 5G in more than 200 devices in the Galaxy range.
It’s time for a long legal battle which could have serious repercussions for Samsung. The Taiwanese manufacturer ASUS indeed accuses him of patent infringement on technologies relating to 4G and 5G. They were filed in January 2019, but it was in January 2022 thatASUS notified Samsung of the violation. Originally, the brand asked the Korean giant to establish a user licensefor which ASUS would have received royalties.
Discussions between the two companies lasted for 18 months and Samsung ultimately refused the proposal. In the absence of an amicable agreement, ASUS has decided to file a complaint specifying that the “licensing negotiations failed because Samsung refused to engage in good faith in a licensing discussion regarding the plaintiffs”. To the extent that the patent infringement was known, ASUS claims that Samsung did so knowingly.
ASUS accuses Samsung of violating its patents on 4G and 5G technologies
The technology in question relates to a method and component “for enhancing transmission using a resource configured in a wireless communications system.” It is present in more than 200 devices from the Galaxy range, listed by ASUS. There we also find the venerable Galaxy A3 of 2014 than the recent Galaxy S23, Galaxy Z Fold 5 or Galaxy Z Flip 5. connected watches and tablets are also affected.
There is clearly no question of ban devices implicated. ASUS especially wants a financial compensation, “at least in the form of reasonable royalties”. The firm has requested a jury trial for all of the charges, which means that the outcome will not be known for a long time. It is therefore far too early to predict the outcome, especially since during the 18 months of discussions, Samsung undoubtedly weighed the consequences of its refusal at length before pronouncing it.
Source: Bloomberg