In July 2022, the non-practicing association Sisvel announced the launch of a new Wifi 6 patent pool, with Chinese telecommunications company Huawei and Dutch company Philips as the first to join. In the meantime, the number of members of the patent pool has grown to eight companies.
Wifi 6 was created in response to the demand for faster connections in an increasingly interconnected world, and Sisvel intended to incorporate this new generation of Wi-Fi technology into its pool to improve connectivity for users in densely populated spaces.
Acer acquires the license
The pool currently has more than 20 licensees, including computer company Acer, and covers more than 200 patent families essential to the 802.11ax standard.
“Patent holders in our Wi-Fi 6 program have chosen to participate in the pool because they share our belief in transparent and efficient licensing options that drive innovation. Our agreement with Acer, a leading global vendor of Wi-Fi-enabled products and an experienced participant in the licensing market, is a strong validation of the value proposition of the Wi-Fi 6 patent pool,” said Giorgia Varvelli, program manager for the Sisvel Wi-Fi 6 Pool.
The lawsuit was closed by agreement.
Previously, Acer was involved in a patent dispute with Sisvel pool member Wills. In 2023, Wills sued Acer in the Munich Regional Court (case number: 7 O 11487/23) for infringing patent EP 3 512 289. The patent protects a “wireless communication method using enhanced distributed channel access, and a wireless communication terminal using same.” In response to a question from JUVE Patent, the Munich Regional Court said the case was put on hold.
According to the Munich Regional Court, Sisbelpool member Phillips also had lawsuits against Eisa in the same court (case numbers 7 O 5599/24 and 7 O 5639/24). These lawsuits have also been discontinued.
However, Acer’s acquisition of the license will put an end to all pending litigation.
Focus on FRAND
Sisvel has made its Wifi 6 portfolio available on FRAND terms, “providing a royalty-free, non-transferable, non-exclusive, without sublicensing rights, license under the Participating Patent Owners’ portfolio of patents essential to the 802.11ax specifications,” with the aim of increasing patent licensing transparency and minimizing licensing disputes.
According to the Sisvel website, the standard license fee rate is $0.60 per unit, although this may drop to a “compliance rate” of $0.50 per unit for licensees who are in full compliance with their obligations under the license agreement.
