SEP and FRAND focus
SEPs and how to license them under FRAND terms have become hot topics. While the interests of SEP owners have been preserved in some jurisdictions, others have seen a move towards protecting licensees. A select group of correspondents provide in-depth overviews of the current situation in some key jurisdictions
Standard-essential patents (SEPs) and their licensing under fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms have become hot topics in the global IP market in recent years, with courts and regulatory authorities taking a much closer look at the issues surrounding them, and other developments also having a major impact. While in some jurisdictions the interests of SEP owners seem to have been preserved, in others the impression is that there has been more of a move towards protecting the interests of actual and potential licensees. An in-depth understanding of the situation in any given country is therefore of key concern for both sides in any negotiation.
In this special management report, a select group of correspondents from leading law firms provide in-depth overviews of the current situation in some of the jurisdictions in which major SEP and FRAND issues are now playing out. We thank them for their contributions and trust that the insights they share will be of great use to IAM’s readers.