Ericsson and LG's patent alliance

Ericsson and LG Electronics have renewed their global patent license agreement.

The deal consists of a cross-license agreement, relating to both companies’ 2G, 3G, and 4G standard-essential patents.

A spokesperson for Ericsson said: “Ericsson and LG Electronics are two of the leading contributors to the GSM [2G], UMTS [3G], and LTE (4G) cellular communication standards. Both companies are making significant investments in the development of the NR 5G standard.

“Obtaining a fair return on R&D investments through patent licensing is important for Ericsson to ensure new investments in innovation, and the continued success of open standardisation.”

The company’s chief intellectual property officer, Gustav Brismark said: “We are very pleased with this new agreement with LG. It will allow us to focus on developing new technology for the global market, and add to our already industry-leading patent portfolio.

“The agreement confirms the value of our patent portfolio and validates our ability to license it on FRAND [fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory] terms and conditions.”