IP Europe welcomes the European Commission Communication on Standard Essential Patent licensing

Reacting to the adoption of the Communication on SEP licensing, Francisco Mingorance, Executive Secretary of IP Europe, said:

“Despite suggestions of industry winners or losers in the media, standardisation is at its heart an exercise in balance and collaborative innovation. We are pleased that today’s Communication recognizes the vital role that standards play in supporting innovation and growth in Europe as well as the Digital Single Market.”

“Today is a good day for consumers around the world, as well as the many businesses – small and large – that will rely on ‘fair reasonable and non-discriminatory’ access to the 5G open technology standard to create new products and services for the upcoming Internet of Things.”

“IP Europe’s members welcome any initiative that will lead to smoother licensing negotiations.  We note that this is particularly important for our SME members because they need as much support in the licensing process as the SME implementers.

“Where opportunities to find negotiated outcomes have been exhausted, our position remains that courts are the best venue to enforce Intellectual Property Rights, including to find remedies for growing marketplace trends such as ‘patent freeriding’ by implementers that use our innovations without taking a license or paying royalties.”

“We continue to vigorously invest in and protect the system of collaborative open standards development, which can place Europe as a frontrunner in the global race for 5G and the IoT, and benefits consumers and the open technology ecosystem.  The alternative would be proprietary connectivity systems dominated by a few IoT gatekeepers.” 

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About IP Europe

IP Europe brings together R&D intensive European companies and research institutes committed to innovation, from SMEs to global enterprises and non-profit research entities operating in a variety of industrial sectors. They all share a common goal: to maintain, at all policy levels, strong patent protection for innovators and support recognized fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory standardisation policies adopted by consensus that preserve fair compensation for innovators. IP Europe supports the use of Injunctive Relief against patent infringers and free riders that rely on R&D investments made by others to earn higher profits. 

IP Europe was originally launched by Ericsson, Airbus and France Brevets. The Fraunhofer Gesellschaft participates in IP Europe in its capacity of academic advisor.

For more information, contact: 

Rory Douglas Home
rory@aspectconsulting.eu 
+32 493791528

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