Ericsson, world’s biggest telecom network equipment maker has sued Micromax over patent infringement regarding wireless technology standards such as GSM, EDGE and 3G, according to a report from Economic Times. Ericsson is calming over Rs 100 crore in damages since Micromax has refused to sign necessary licences for products compliant with the GSM, EDGE, and UMTS/WCDMA standards, after three years of negotiations failed.
The high court ordered Micromax to pay between 1.25% and 2% of sale price as royalty of the sale price of disputed devices, in an interim order last week. The court had asked both the companies to negotiate a FRAND (fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory) licence agreement which would be valid till the next hearing, and Micromax is said to have agreed to pay interim payment with the court.
Ericsson executives can join customs officials to inspect Micromax’s consignments to check for devices violating its patents, says the High Court. If the Ericsson don’t have objection, they would inform the customs, and the consignment would be delivered to Micromax. The disputed handsets include, Ninja series, Funbook Talk, and the Canvas 2 series, according to Economic Times.
Ericsson is the biggest patent-holders in the mobile phone industry with over 30,000 patents and more than 100 license agreements with major companies. Ericsson sued Samsung last year since they failed to sign a license agreement on FRAND terms, after 2 years of talks. Samsung counter-sued Ericsson for patent infringement last week.
Source: ET, Times of India