China Daily
Chinese tech giant Huawei and US firm HP Inc have announced a multi-year global patent cross-licensing agreement, under which HP is granted access to certain Wi-Fi patents owned by Huawei.
Experts said the landmark deal marks new progress in intellectual-property-driven cooperation between the two enterprises amid geopolitical uncertainties.
“The cross-licensing recognizes Huawei’s innovation prowess and core technological strengths in information and communications technology (ICT), as well as HP’s standing as a global leader in personal computers and peripheral equipment,” said Yang Weiyong, an associate professor of economics at the University of International Business and Economics.
“It also shows Chinese innovators are increasingly capable of leveraging global intellectual-property rules to monetize R&D investment while granting reciprocal access to Western corporate partners despite geopolitical uncertainties.”
Alan Fan, Huawei’s chief intellectual property officer, said Huawei is pleased to conclude this global patent cross-licensing arrangement with HP.
“This deal stands as solid proof of Huawei’s sustained independent innovation across cutting-edge ICT domains,” Fan said.
“Through patent licensing, Huawei shares its technological innovations with the broader industry, especially for standard-essential technologies, bringing premium technical experiences to consumers around the globe,” he added.
Yang, the expert, added that such patent cooperation between Chinese and overseas high-tech players supports the orderly development of global digital industries by respecting the value of R&D inputs from innovators worldwide.
Patent cross-licensing enables firms to access each other’s patent portfolios, reduces potential intellectual-property disputes and fosters a healthy innovation ecosystem for global tech sectors, he said.