Chinese tech giant OPPO announced on Tuesday that it has signed a significant global cooperation agreement with telecom equipment maker Ericsson. The deal encompasses a comprehensive patent cross-licensing arrangement, technical collaboration, market expansion initiatives, and other strategic ventures. This agreement covers standard-essential patents (SEPs) essential for cellular communication technologies, including 5G.
“We are excited to announce our global cooperation agreement with Ericsson. This cross-licensing arrangement covers cellular standard-essential patents, including those related to 5G, and signifies our mutual recognition and respect for each other’s intellectual property. This partnership not only underlines OPPO’s commitment to intellectual property rights but also reflects our advocacy for fair licensing practices and the development of a robust, long-term IP ecosystem. We are dedicated to resolving IP disputes through constructive negotiations that honour the value of patents,” said Feng Ying, Chief Intellectual Property Officer of OPPO.
Since its inception nearly two decades ago, OPPO has consistently prioritized investment in research and development, focusing on advancing key technologies and translating innovations into valuable intellectual property and superior user experiences. As of June 30, 2024, OPPO has filed over 103,000 patent applications worldwide and holds more than 57,000 granted patents, with 91% of these applications being utility patents. According to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), OPPO ranked ninth globally in Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) applications in 2023, marking its fifth consecutive year in the top ten.
As a prominent holder of 5G SEPs and a leader in smart device innovation, OPPO is a key driver and enforcer of technology standards.
As of June 30, 2024, OPPO has filed over 6,200 patent families for 5G communication standards across more than 40 countries and regions. The company has declared over 3,700 5G families to the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) and submitted more than 12,000 standard documents to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP).
The “Global 5G Standard-Essential Patents and Standard Proposal Study Report (2023)” by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) and the “Global 5G Standard-Essential Patent Strength Report” published by IPlytics in October 2023 confirm that OPPO is a global leader in 5G SEP strength.