Oppo and Ericsson sign global 5G patent cross-licensing agreement

It’s been years since brands like Oppo and OnePlus have had their phones banned in various countries for not paying patent fees. Although these issues are typically solved after a few weeks, they continue to happen because neither brand signed patent licensing agreements.

To avoid having its smartphone banned, Oppo has signed a global patent cross-licensing agreement with Ericsson. The agreement goes beyond just global patent cross-license, and also includes technical cooperation, market expansion and other collaborations.

“We are pleased to announce that we have reached a global cooperation agreement with Ericsson. The global patent cross license between two companies covers cellular standard-essential patents including 5G. This agreement reflects the mutual recognition and respect for each other's intellectual property and lays a solid foundation for our collaboration,” said Feng Ying, Chief Intellectual Property Officer of OPPO.

More precisely, Ericsson explains that both companies will conduct business cooperation on a number of projects related to 5G, including device testing, customer engagements and marketing activities.

“This important royalty bearing license agreement with OPPO allows Ericsson to further invest in fundamental communications technologies. The license confirms that the patent licensing industry works and is proof that a vast majority of license agreements are based on business negotiations. It also reflects the mutual respect for each other’s patent portfolio,” said Christina Petersson, Chief Intellectual Property Officer at Ericsson.

According to Oppo, as of June 30, 2024, the company filed over 103,000 patent applications globally, with more than 57,000 patents granted. It’s also important to mention that over 90 percent of all patent applications are utility patents.

Another interesting tidbit shared by Oppo is that the company is ranked ninth globally in patent applications filed under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) in 2023, according to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). This is the fifth consecutive year that Oppo is ranked in the global top ten.