Ericsson suing Wiko over patent infringement

Ericsson is suing French smartphone maker Wiko in Germany, accusing the company of infringing Ericsson patents essential to 2G, 3G and 4G cellular technology.

In a statement, Ericsson said Wiko has been infringing on its intellectual property rights without any license or compensation for years.

Ericsson chief intellectual property officer Gustav Bismark said the company has tried to negotiate a license agreement with Wiko on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms since May 2013, but has not succeeded throughout the years of discussions. The company decided to take Wiko to court as a last resort, he said.

“Global sharing of technology and open standards are the force behind the smartphone revolution and have allowed new entrants, such as Wiko, to quickly build successful businesses,” Bismark said.

“This ICT ecosystem only works, however, if all market players respect the basic rules of FRAND licensing. It is unfair for Wiko to benefit from our substantial R&D investment without paying a reasonable license fee for our patented technology.”

Ericsson has one of the telecommunications industry’s largest IP portfolios, spanning more than 42,000 patents worldwide. These cover 2G, 3G and LTE technologies and technologies that are likely to incorporate part of the 5G standard.