Owning 56,492 Patents, Huawei Mustn’t Be Afraid To Use Them

Although Huawei has been under intense attack from President Donald Trump and the US government, the Chinese tech company is holding at least one advantage in its hands: a huge number of patents on many different key technologies.

ANAQUA AcclaimIP reported that Huawei is possessing 56,492 active patents on networking, telecommunications, and many other hi-tech inventions. Besides, it is aiming to pursuit licensing fees and royalties while Trump’s government is restricting its development in the US market, as well its ability to approach US suppliers.

The Chinese company is negotiating with Verizon Communications Inc. for prolonging licenses. It is also contending with Qualcomm Inc. for the patent’s value. In addition, it made claims against the defense contractor Harris Corp. after the US company accused it of infringing on patents for cloud and networking security.

According to the patent lawyer Brad Hulbert, a partner with McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP, Chicago,

This tech battle comes with the vaster concerns of national security. In some certain aspects, Huawei holds a position as a pioneer in providing 5G networks, which makes many foreign countries concerned about the fact that it can become a tool to disrupt networks or an espionage agent. The tech giant isn’t only a focal point in the fifth-generation race but it is also among some companies which are being affected by the Sino-US trade war.

Last month, the US President signed an order to ban Huawei from selling its devices and components in the US market. Right after that, the Department of Commerce stated that Huawei had been on its blacklist and the company wasn’t allowed to continue the business with companies in the nation.

In another aspect, China refers to Huawei as a potential symbol of the Asian nation’s evolution. That has been clearly shown via the company’s achievements such as a tech powerhouse and the factory of the world. Meanwhile, the United States believes that it has been stealing US firms’ inventions.

According to Jim McGregor, a technology analyst and partner at Tirias Research in Mesa, Arizona,

The technology industry has witnessed lots of patent disputes, and the ongoing race of the fifth-generation wireless development must bring much more disputes. Some traditional tech companies such as Nokia Oyj and Ericsson AB have made a great effort to earn more money through their patents. As per Qualcomm, the US equipment maker has appealed a ruling of the Federal Trade Commission, which allegedly affects the licensing program that brings lots of profits to this company. Back to Huawei, the Chinese tech giant ended a fight with Samsung Electronics Co in February 2019, after the 2-year tension.

In terms of the 5G technology development, both Huawei and Qualcomm are now among the list of the most powerful tech firms. The fifth-generation connection ensures to bring faster speeds as well as new capabilities such as driver-less cars and using robots to conduct remote surgeries. The US ban on equipment manufactured by Huawei has stirred all of the global telecom firms. As said by McGregor, we are being reminded that the fifth-generation technology has relied on two major countries: China and the United States. He said,

The government and companies in China are investing billions of dollars to research high-tech products, and it’s clearly shown via the number of patents they are possessing. The IFI Patent Claims Services of Fairview Research showed that Huawei owned 1,680 new US patents in 2018 and held the 16th position in the list of the biggest recipients in the world. The intellectual property management software company Anaqua reported that the Chinese company has had 102,911 published applications and active patents.

According to the patent lawyer Peter Toren who specializes in consulting with companies on litigation and licensing in Washington, as reported by The Wall Street Journal, Huawei has given royalty demands against the American telecom company Verizon, possibly making the political battle more intense.

As per Verizon, it hasn’t given detailed comments on any specific talks and referred to the negotiations as something that is bigger than a common patent-licensing discussion.

The company stated,

Huawei hasn’t commented on these issues yet.

According to McGregor, it comes as no surprise that Huawei is demanding royalties from the US’s biggest wireless telecom provider Verizon. The reason behind this incident is Verizon’s statement saying that it is the first supplier to provide 5G services for mobile devices, of course, in some certain areas.

McGregor noted,