Tuesday, February 23, 2021
Ericsson-Samsung escalation led Judge Gilstrap and me to the same miscategorization of certain patents-in-suit: no SEP injunctions being sought YET
Every once in a while, Ericsson and Samsung have to renew their patent cross-license agreement, but those negotiations have become more complicated over time. The following timeline, included in a Samsung filing with the Federal Circuit, shows how the partes have periodically had to go to court (always on a cross-jurisdictional basis) before they struck the next deal (click on the image to enlarge):
The chart also shows a trend toward ever more protracted litigation. A trend reversal is possible: maybe they ll be able to settle sooner this time around, but I wouldn t hold my breath, given that Ericsson is ever more dependent on patent licensing revenues and now more concerned than ever about competition from Samsung in its core business (mobile base stations).