Sisvel POS rates in FRAND range; AV2 pool gets closer; Chinese criticism of Munich SEP guidelines; InterDigital secures third Disney injunction; 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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Sisvel launched its Point of Sale (POS) patent pool at the start of April this year with three founding licensors: Huawei, LG Electronics and Nokia. Since then, this number has climbed to 44, making the programme the fastest growing in Sisvel’s history. More significantly, over 50% of cellular SEP families are now accessible via the pool licence. Last month, royalty rates were announced, with per-unit fees ranging from €1.20 for payment sound boxes to €8 for the most advanced POS terminals. On Sisvel Insights last week, this was followed up by the publication of analysis showing that aggregate royalty burdens implied by each of the Sisvel rate tiers – in both absolute and ad valorem terms – fall inside the range of values deemed FRAND in established court precedents for cellular technology.

Elsewhere, there were plenty of developments in the AV1 and AV2 licensing markets, with Sisvel CIPO Heath Hoglund confirming that the firm is at an advanced stage in its preparations for the rollout of a pool to cover the latter. This will build on the success of Sisvel’s AV1 and VP9 programmes. In China, meanwhile, there has been strong pushback against the recent FRAND rate-setting guidance released by the Munich Regional Court; and at the UPC, InterDigital secured its third injunction against Disney in the ongoing dispute between the two companies.

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

“We have been actively working on AV2 since January 2025 and we are well on our way to finalising a programme that balances licensor and licensee interests,” Sisvel CIPO Heath Hoglund has said. Read more (IAM) 🔒

Avanci has announced a strategic partnership with Baillie Gifford and appointed an executive from the UK-based investment manager to its board of directors. Read more (Avanci LinkedIn)

Nokia has provided an update on its video SEP licensing efforts, including recent deals with several Chinese TV makers. Read more (Nokia blog)

Twenty Chinese automakers have taken a 4G or 5G vehicle licence from Avanci, including seven of the nation’s top 10 vehicle exporters. Read more (Avanci LinkedIn)

Former District Court for the Western District of Texas judge Alan Albright has become a partner of law firm A&O Sherman, based in its Austin office. Read more (A&O Sherman press release)

Legal

InterDigital has secured a third UPC injunction against Disney, with the latest order coming from the Dusseldorf Local Division. Read more (InterDigital press release)

The High Court of England and Wales has ruled a Samsung 5G patent to be valid, essential and infringed by ZTE. Read more (IAM)🔒

Longhorn IP has asserted 5G SEPs against Apple in the Western District of Texas. Read more (ip fray)🔒

Policy & Opinion

The European Commission has confirmed that it is monitoring the Alliance for Open Media for compliance with EU competition law and the Digital Markets Act. Read more (IAM)🔒

Licence agreements reached in the shadow of litigation should not be excluded as ‘comparables’ – they represent strong and informative benchmarks. Read more (IAM)🔒

Strategy & Analysis

The royalty rates offered under the Sisvel POS patent pool fall within the range of court-determined FRAND levels for cellular technology, a new report shows. Read more (Sisvel Insights)

The Munich Regional Court’s recent SEP guidance has provoked a strong negative reaction in China. Read more (IAM) 🔒

Qualcomm’s focus areas beyond smartphones include POS terminals, security cameras and laptops, licensing head John Han has said in an interview. Read more (ip fray)🔒

The US Justice Department has made more statements of interest in private IP litigation than under any other recent administration, with US technological competitiveness a consistent theme. Read more (MLex) 🔒