WIRELESS FIRMS OVERCOME CAR TECH PROVIDER'S PATENT MONOPOLY CLAIMS

摘要

Nokia, Conversant and other wireless technology companies did not violate antitrust laws when they pooled their standard-essential patents for licensing purposes, a Dallas federal judge has ruled. U.S. District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn of the Northern District of Texas on Sept. 10 dismissed Continental Automotive Systems Inc.'s complaint, saying that while standard-essential patents create a monopoly by their nature, unlawful anti-competitive conduct must accompany that monopoly for it to violate antitrust laws. Continental had argued that, because its products need to comply with standard-setting organizations, the technology companies should provide the patents at fair, reasonable and nondiscriminatory, or FRAND, licensing terms. The companies' pooling of the patents was really an unlawful agreement to create a monopoly and only offer non-FRAND licensing terms, Continental said in its suit against Avanci LLC, the agent the group of wireless technology companies used for licensing patents.