Germany seeks EU SEP Regulation revival; Nokia enjoys 8% licensing rise; Huawei hits Disney with Brazil injunction; UK consults on FRAND opinion service; plus much more

Welcome to the latest edition of the Sisvel Insights weekly round-up, aggregating news stories, analyses and data points affecting the SEP world that have caught our eye over the past seven days.

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The EU SEP Regulation was withdrawn by the European Commission in 2025, but reports emerged last week that a group of countries led by Germany is pressing for the introduction of a new version of the legislation.

A letter from the German government addressed to senior Commission officials has expressed “great regret” that the original proposal was pulled. “We remain strongly committed to the goal of promoting transparency and predictability with regards to SEPs and improving the SEP licensing system,” the letter states, before urging the Commission to “promptly revisit this issue, invite stakeholders and experts for exchanges and present a new proposal”. This, the letter continues, should offer “a framework acceptable to both patent owners and companies using patented technology, while minimizing additional costs and bureaucracy”.

Major European licensors made clear on numerous occasions that the previous regulation was not, in fact, acceptable. It stands to reason, therefore, that if genuine solutions really were the goal of a new initiative, something different would be required. This should have an open and meaningful consultation process at its heart – one in which all views were given an equal hearing and in which evidence took precedence over anecdote.

So, if there is to be a new regulation that is not just a quick fix, drafting one will take some time. The question then is whether this is worth doing when the market itself continues to develop solutions as challenges arise. Legislation drafted to solve the perceived problems of 2027 may have very little to do with reality by the time it becomes law.

Elsewhere, Nokia reported a jump in year-on-year third-quarter royalty income, thanks in part to catch-up payments from new deals; and on the legal front, Huawei secured a Brazilian injunction award against Disney in a HEVC-related dispute. In the UK, meanwhile, a new consultation was launched on the feasibility of establishing a voluntary FRAND opinion service.

Please note that the inclusion of a piece in the list below does not signify agreement with what is stated in the linked article – just that we believe it is of interest and worth flagging.

Market

Nokia’s licensing business recorded net sales of €425 million in Q3 2026 – an 8% year-on-year gain, driven partly by catch-up payments from new licence deals. Read more (Patrik Hammarén LinkedIn)

Avanci’s two cellular vehicle patent pools have 20 licence agreements in place with China-based implementers, the firm’s Vehicle President Laurie Fitzgerald has said. Read more (IAM)🔒

Legal

Huawei has secured a preliminary injunction against Disney in Brazil on the strength of an expert report finding HEVC infringement. Read more (ip fray) 🔒

Oppo has won its second injunction against ASUS in China in a case related to a cellular SEP licensing dispute that ASUS and its affiliated companies first brought to court almost two years ago. Read more (IAM) 🔒

The UPC local division in Mannheim has warned Samsung that a ZTE cellular patent is likely to be found valid and infringed as the sides prepare for a November hearing. Read more (ip fray).🔒 See also Kingsley Egbuonu LinkedIn

Lenovo has become the latest company targeted with 4G/5G patents by a US inventor which has secured a string of settlements with top mobile names. Read more (IAM) 🔒

Ericsson has hit Disney with additional video patent claims, this time at the UPC. Read more (ip fray)🔒

Policy & Opinion

The German government is spearheading an attempt to revive the EU’s shelved regulation on SEP licensing. Read more (MLex).🔒 See also IAM🔒

The UK IP Office has initiated a consultation on the feasibility of establishing a voluntary FRAND opinion service. Read more (UK IP Office)

China’s Ministry of Commerce has announced plans to scrutinise cross-border intellectual property transfers in more technology categories. Read more (IAM)

According to Munich Judge Oliver Schön, SEP defendants should use early FRAND hearings to offer arbitration and raise questions over comparables. Read more (MLex)

The recent FRAND Guidelines issued by the Munich Regional Court risk converting genuine valuation disputes into findings of unwillingness despite payment and security. Read more (Enrico Bonadio and Arjun Solanki SSRN)

The US Supreme Court has declined to hear an Alphabet Google appeal against a ruling that the USPTO’s settled expectations PTAB challenge rule is lawful. Read more (US News)

Strategy & Analysis

The Rio de Janeiro court in Brazil grants patent injunctions far more often than its counterpart in São Paulo, according to data presented in a new report. Read more (IAM) 🔒

Roughly one-third of new UPC infringement and preliminary injunction cases have a China-based defendant, filing statistics have revealed. Read more (ip fray)