Standards play an important role in the modern world, from 3G, 4G and 5G standards in the telecoms industry to newly emerging standards in the automotive sector and internet of things. As connectivity and interoperability of devices increases these standards are becoming even more crucial, and navigating the potential pitfalls is key to success in a growing number of industries. Our team combines market leading expertise in high tech patent licensing and litigation with in depth sector expertise.
The patent landscape for standards is typically complex and involves huge portfolios owned by many different licensors. Our team has experience in advising on complex multi-jurisdictional licensing negotiations, both for prospective licensees as well as patent-holders (who are often one and the same).
We help licensees in the conduct of these negotiations, securing the best outcome for them and protecting their ability to continue to practise the standards internationally.
We also help patent-holders get the best out of their portfolios, assisting in the co-ordination and strategy of multi-national licensing programmes.
Should licensing negotiations escalate to litigation, we offer a leading team of patent litigation specialists, the majority of whom have scientific or engineering backgrounds. We have substantial experience in coordinating disputes across multiple jurisdictions.
Our intellectual property team has extensive coverage across, Europe, Asia and Australia and is fully integrated with our TMT and competition teams. Our sector led approach combines in depth technical expertise with a commercial understanding of our clients’ businesses, SEPs and FRAND issues.
