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Mon, July 4, 2022 | 14:14
Companies
Samsung to countersue Huawei over patents
'뜨는 별' 화웨이의 도발…삼성 제2글로벌특허전쟁
Posted : 2016-05-25 15:16
Updated : 2016-05-26 14:11
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Chinese sales representatives wait for customers at a Huawei retails shop in Beijing. / AP-Yonhap
Chinese sales representatives wait for customers at a Huawei retails shop in Beijing. / AP-Yonhap

Tech giants in legal dispute over patents

By Kim Yoo-chul


Samsung Electronics said Wednesday it will file a countersuit against Huawei Technologies of China over patent disputes involving mobile devices and communication technology.

Huawei filed a suit against Samsung, Tuesday, claiming that the Korean company infringed on 11 standard essential patents (SEPs) it owned.

It said Samsung reaped huge gains without paying royalties for the use of the patents.

In reaction, Samsung called the allegation by the Chinese telecommunication equipment maker "groundless."

"We are going to file a countersuit against Huawei," Ahn Seung-ho, an executive vice president of Samsung, told reporters.

He said the company is reviewing legal documents filed by Huawei with the United States District Court, Northern District of California, and China, suing Samsung Electronics, Samsung Electronics America and Samsung Research America.

"Samsung and its affiliates have earned billions of dollars by selling UMTS and LTE-compliant products that use Huawei's technology," Huawei said in the documents. "The sales have propelled Samsung to be a market leader in the smartphone and tablet markets."

It is not known whether Huawei is seeking a complete sales ban on Samsung products using its patents in the United States.

Samsung Electronics did not comment on the background of the lawsuit.

Huawei Korea said that it has no authority to issue statements or to make comments about the issue.

The Chinese company is one of Samsung's major clients buying memory chips and displays.

Legal officials said the patent dispute reflects a breakdown in licensing negotiations.

All LTE-enabled mobile devices use some form of SEPs that are usually cross-licensed between companies.

In the lawsuit, Huawei said it notified Samsung of the patent infringement on July 19, 2013, but the Korean firm did not respond to requests for discussions on licensing.

"Huawei hopes to strike a comprehensive cross-licensing agreement with Samsung Electronics, allowing it access to some Samsung patents," said one local expert.

He said Samsung faces a dilemma as it doesn't necessarily need Huawei patents; but China is the world's biggest single market for the company, he added.

Huawei said that all Samsung's latest mobile lineup from the Galaxy S2 to Galaxy S7 edge, as well as the Note series, used its patented technology.

This is the first time that a Chinese company has initiated a lawsuit against Samsung.

The action comes after U.S.-based mobile chipset titan Qualcomm signed patent licensing deals with HiSense and Yulong Computer Telecommunication Scientific (also known as Coolpad), and agreed to lower the royalties paid by them.

This agreement came after Qualcomm was investigated by China's anti-monopoly regulator, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

"The situation will be very complicated as there is a chance that Samsung will come under the scrutiny of the NDRC if the patent dispute with Huawei ends up without results. Samsung is urged to find a solution that will be beneficial to both," said the expert.

Samsung Electronics share prices closed up 24,000 won or 1.89 percent at 1,295,000 won, Wednesday. The benchmark KOSPI closed up 1.18 percent at 1,960.51 points.

Huawei said it spent 10.8 trillion won on research and development (R&D) projects last year, which accounted for 15 percent of its sales in 2015.

As of last year, Huawei owned 50,377 patents. It filed 3,898 patents in 2015, becoming the top patent filer for a second straight year.

Huawei was late in the smartphone industry; however, it is the global leader in the telecommunications equipment arena.

Huawei has licensing agreements with Ericsson, Nokia and Alcatel-Lucent, as well as other major telecom companies.


'뜨는 별' 화웨이의 도발…삼성 제2글로벌특허전쟁

화웨이 '협상' 운 뗐으나 삼성 '맞소송' 언급
화웨이, 기술력 뽑내고 존재감 과시 분석도

중국 통신장비 제조사 화웨이(華爲)가 삼성전자를 상대로 기습적인 특허소송을 제기해 귀추가 주목된다.

안승호 삼성전자 지적재산권센터장(부사장)은 25일 오전 삼성 서초사옥에서 취재진을 만나 '맞소송이든 해야겠죠. 그쪽(화웨이)에서 그렇게 나오면 가만히 있을 수는 없겠고…'라고 말했다.

삼성전자의 전사적인 특허 관리를 맡은 안 센터장이 '맞소송'을 언급하자 업계에서는 삼성 측이 화웨이와 적당히 타협하기보다 적극적으로 반격할 가능성이 크다는 관측이 나왔다.

이에 대해 업계는 삼성이 애플에 이어 제2의 글로벌특허전쟁을 맞이했다는 분석도 내놓는다.

삼성이 이처럼 즉각 '응전' 태세를 보인 반면, 먼저 공격에 나선 화웨이는 한편으론 타협할 여지를 남겨뒀다.

앞서 화웨이의 대외 업무 담당 부사장인 윌리엄 플러머가 AFP통신과 인터뷰에서 '우리는 협상을 통해 라이선스 관련 분쟁을 해결하는 것을 매우 강력히 선호한다'고 말한 것이다.

화웨이는 2013년 7월 삼성 측에 특허 침해를 주장했다가 협상에 실패하자 이번 소송을 제기한 것으로 전해졌다.

문제는 화웨이의 노림수다.

삼성, 애플에 이어 전 세계 스마트폰 판매량 3위인 화웨이가 주로 자사 기술력을 뽐내고 시장에서 존재감을 드러내기 위해 소송을 제기했다면 끝장 공방을 부담스러워할 수 있다.

일각에서는 화웨이가 특허 소송을 제기한 미국과 중국에서 점유율을 확대하려는 전략이라는 분석도 나온다.

화웨이는 특허 침해에 대한 실질적인 배상을 원하기보다 사업자 간 특허를 공유하는 '크로스 라이선스'(Cross License) 협상에서 우위를 점하기 위해 소송을 제기했을 수 있다는 관측도 있다.

이와 관련, 일각에서는 2년 전 가까스로 봉합된 삼성과 에릭슨의 특허소송을 언급하기도 한다.

스웨덴 통신장비 회사 에릭슨은 2012년 11월 삼성과 특허 계약 연장 협상을 벌이다 실패하자 미국에서 소송을 제기했다. 이 소송은 2년 뒤 상호 특허 사용 계약으로 원만히 마무리됐다.

다만, 화웨이가 스스로를 '늑대'에 비유할 만큼 끈질긴 조직이라는 점을 염두에 둬야 한다는 관측도 있다. 한 번 물면 놓지 않는 늑대처럼 소송을 장기전으로 끌고 갈 수 있다는 얘기다.

애플 등과 이미 크로스 라이선스 계약을 체결한 화웨이는 대대적인 특허소송 전력이 없어 향후 전략도 가늠하기 쉽지 않다.

업계 관계자는 '삼성으로서는 반격이 불가피할 것으로 보인다. 화웨이의 속내가 소송 향배를 좌우할 수 있다'며 '현시점에서 소송을 전망하기는 쉽지 않다'고 분석했다. (연합뉴스)
Emailyckim@ktimes.com Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
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