Vivo and Nokia have today announced a multi-year patent cross-licensing agreement, ending a legal battle over 5G technology. This comes just weeks after Nokia settled a similar dispute with another BBK Electronics brand, Oppo.
Under the terms, Vivo will gain access to Nokia’s foundational cellular technology patents but will make ongoing payments to Nokia for their use.
Notably, these payments will also include “catch-up” fees which will cover the period of the dispute. The good thing is that the agreement now settles all outstanding legal matters between the two companies.
For those unaware, Nokia raised a legal conflict claiming that brands under the BBK Electronics portfolio, such as Vivo and Oppo, were infringing on 5G wireless communication technology patents. This eventually led to a lawsuit and subsequent defeat of these smartphone brands in court.
Following the court ruling, Oppo, Vivo, OnePlus, and Realme had to withdraw from the German market. However, the recent 5G patent deal of Oppo and Vivo with Nokia opens a way for BBK brands to re-enter the German market. In fact, OnePlus has already begun selling its latest OnePlus 12 and 12R in the country.
“We are delighted to have reached an agreement with vivo which reflects mutual respect for each other’s intellectual property rights,” said Jenni Lukander, President of Nokia Technologies. “We look forward to bringing more innovation to their users around the world through our collaboration.”
Vivo’s General Manager Xianwen Xu also expressed its satisfaction with the agreement, highlighting its commitment to R&D and providing users with hi-tech products.
The deal, most importantly, paves the way for Vivo’s return to Germany, a key market for the company. Also, to note, this is Nokia’s 6th major smartphone licensing agreement in the past 13 months. The company has already signed deals with Apple, Samsung, OPPO, Honor, and Huawei.
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(via)
