Telecommunications

UK High Court of Justice Issues an Injunction Prohibiting Huawei from Selling Wireless Telecommunications Products in Britain Due to its Failure to Enter Into a Worldwide Patent License

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Orrick antitrust practice team attorneys Matthew G. Rose, Jay Jurata and Emily Luken recently published an article in the e-Competitions Bulletin August 2017 discussing the implications of the UK High Court of Justice ruling that enjoins Huawei from selling wireless telecommunications products in Britain due to Huawei’s failure to enter into a patent license for Unwired Planet’s worldwide portfolio of standard-essential patents (SEPs), even though Huawei was willing to enter into a license for Unwired Planet’s United Kingdom (UK) SEPs.

The article examines the potential competitive harms that would result from a regime in which licensees are required to take worldwide SEP licenses.

Phone Roaming Charges for Periodic Travel in the European Union To End

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The European Union commitments contained in the Telecoms Single Market Regulation of 2015 to end roaming charges for periodic travel in the EU requires the EC to adopt rules by December 15, 2016. Image of a man in the park checking roaming status on the smartphone screen.

The development of a digital single market is a key objective for the European Union. As Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission (“EC”) said in September, “We need to be connected. Our economy needs it.”[1] Although this economic policy objective was initiated when the EC published its communication on the Digital Single Market Strategy[2] for Europe in 2015, the various proposals it contains need to be formally adopted and implemented in the EU. This process is now underway.

The EU’s commitments contained in the Telecoms Single Market Regulation[3] of 2015 to end roaming charges for periodic travel in the EU required the EC to adopt rules by 15 December 2016.  A transition period—starting from 30 April 2016 to 15 June 2017—has been established to make the abolition of roaming charges sustainable throughout the EU without an increase in domestic prices.  On December 8, the EC sent an implementing draft on the end of the roaming charges to the representatives of Member States (via the Communications Committee (“COCOM”)). They voted on the text on December 12, and the EC will adopt these new rules regarding the retail market[4] in the coming days. READ MORE →