Panel: Judges Dyk, Plager, and Moore, with Judge Dyk writing the opinion
You should read this case if: you have a matter involving standard-essential patents and license agreements that include later-developed or acquired intellectual property.
Our case this week features the standard-essential power players of quarantine: cell phones and tablets. If you’re wondering how your trusted devices fared, please do read on.
Evolved owns a standard-essential patent (SEP) covering 4G/LTE technology for mobile devices. In 2015, Evolved sued several mobile device manufacturers for infringement based on their use of Qualcomm chipsets to make multi-mode, or LTE, mobile devices.
But here’s the catch. The patent’s original owner, LGE, had granted a license to Qualcomm back in 1993. This license agreement barred patent infringement claims against Qualcomm and its customers for use of LGE patents that are technically or commercially necessary to make, sell, or use a “Sub