Nokia announced yesterday that they have signed a multi-year 5G patent cross-licensing deal with Samsung.

The deal includes Nokia's 5G patents, including their Standards Essential Patents (SEPs). This replaces the previous agreement between the companies that expired at the end of 2022.

The main points of the new deal are:

  • It licences Nokia's fundamental inventions in 5G and other technologies to Samsung
  • Samsung will make royalty payments to Nokia for a multi-year period
  • The agreement started on 1 January 2023

Is this a sign of the times?

This cross-licensing deal between Nokia and Samsung follows other significant patent licensing deals agreed between major players in the wireless telecommunications industry towards the end of 2022. These include deals between Ericsson and Apple and between Huawei and OPPO.

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