Huawei Surpasses 100,000 Patents Despite US Sanctions

17.6% Increase Last Year... Highest Growth Rate Ever
"Plan to Demand Patent Royalties from Samsung and Apple"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Despite last year's US sanctions, Chinese telecommunications equipment company Huawei recorded the highest annual patent growth rate ever.

On the 16th (local time), according to the Financial Times and Bloomberg News, Ding Zhenxin, head of Huawei's Intellectual Property (IP) division, stated at the company's forum themed "Protecting Intellectual Property, Driving Innovation" that "As of the end of last year, we hold about 100,000 valid patents." This represents a 17.6% increase compared to about 85,000 patents at the end of 2019, marking the highest annual growth rate ever. Ding analyzed this as "the result of long-term investment in innovation and research and development (R&D)."

Most of Huawei's patents are related to 5G wireless technology, accounting for nearly 20% of global 5G patents. In addition, patents related to CCTV and artificial intelligence (AI) have also been filed. According to the World Intellectual Property Organization, Huawei filed 5,464 patent applications last year, maintaining its position as the world's number one for four consecutive years. During the same period, the European Patent Office (EPO) recorded 3,113 patents, ranking second, and Huawei ranked seventh on the "Top 300 US Patent Registrants in 2020" list recently announced by the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO) in the United States.

Huawei first filed patents in China and the US in 1995 and 1999 respectively. This performance is analyzed to reflect China's determination to achieve technological self-reliance despite US pressure. Wang Zhigang, China's Minister of Science and Technology, said last year in this regard, "China must enhance its capabilities to create independent innovation," adding, "Core technologies cannot be obtained or purchased from elsewhere."

Meanwhile, Huawei announced on the same day that it will demand 5G patent royalties from smartphone manufacturers. Song Liuping, Huawei's Chief Legal Officer (CLO), said, "We will negotiate patent royalties and cross-licensing agreements with Samsung Electronics, Apple, and others." The royalty cap per smartphone is set at $2.50, which is lower compared to competitors such as Qualcomm, Ericsson, and Nokia.

Huawei's move aims to collect patent royalties despite US sanctions. The US IT media PhoneArena stated, "Huawei argues that the US administration's trade sanctions, which have blocked transactions with US companies, should not prevent the collection of patent royalties," and predicted, "Another dispute may arise, similar to the seven-year legal battle between Samsung Electronics and Apple over smartphone patents."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.