Qualcomm to buy Huawei US patents as part of broad licensing deal
Huawei and Qualcomm have signed a multi-year cross-licence agreement covering their patent portfolios in 5G, compute, AI and networking. As part of the deal, Qualcomm will also buy some of Huawei's US patents.
The patents Qualcomm is buying cover compute, AI, networking and other technologies, according to a press release from Qualcomm. That part of the transaction will close once the necessary regulatory approvals have been obtained. The companies say the agreement follows licensing practices in line with FRAND principles, meaning fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms.
Both companies present the deal as recognition of their own technology. Qualcomm describes it as a reaffirmation of its 5G leadership and the success of its licensing programme for standard-essential patents (SEPs).
"This agreement likewise reflects Qualcomm's recognition of Huawei's continued innovation and intellectual property in 5G and other technology fields," says John Han, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Qualcomm Technology Licensing.
Huawei points to its contributions to the 4G and 5G standards, including polar codes for signal transmission.
"This agreement not only demonstrates the value of Huawei's innovations, but also recognises Qualcomm's foundational contributions to modern communication technologies," says Alan Fan, Huawei's Chief Intellectual Property Officer.
The companies have not disclosed the financial terms of the agreement, the price of the patents, or how many patents are included.
