Welcome to the latest edition of the Sisvel Insights weekly round-up, aggregating news stories, analyses and data points affecting the SEP world that have caught our eye over the past seven days 

**Click here to get this newsletter delivered directly to your inbox every Monday** 

In an exclusive interview with Sisvel Insights, former USPTO Director David Kappos has said that the United States now plays a secondary role in global SEP disputes. This state of affairs stems from legal developments that have made injunctions rare and damage awards vulnerable, the Cravath, Swaine & Moore partner contends. 

But it doesn’t have to be this way – prospects have improved for legislative patent reform proposals that Kappos believes would boost US leadership. And he noted that patent pools like those operated by Sisvel are solving many of the thorniest challenges in SEP licensing by facilitating deals with a minimum of friction and disputes. 

In other news, the High Court in London heard arguments from ZTE and Samsung last week in the latest test of the UK’s interim licence regime. The hearings involved major questions of comity and the decision, which could come within days, will be closely scrutinised. 

Elsewhere, a new monetisation vehicle led by a former GE Licensing executive announced its acquisition of VVC patents from Fraunhofer; and Oppo announced that it had agreed a cellular SEP licence covering 5G with automaker Volkswagen. 

Please note that inclusion of a piece in the list below does not signify agreement with what is stated in the linked article, just that we believe it is of interest and worth pointing out.   

Market  

Oppo and Volkswagen announced a global licensing deal covering use of the Chinese company’s cellular SEPs, including 5G rights, in connected vehicles. Press Release | OPPO Global 

TechStream, a monetisation vehicle run by former GE Licensing executive Pat Patnode, announced the acquisition of Fraunhofer’s VVC patent assets. LinkedIn post - TechStream  

Nokia acquired several Amazon patents by assignment around the time of the pair’s recent video SEP settlement. Nokia takes ownership of Amazon patents following video codec litigation settlement - IAM 🔒 

Legal 

The UK High Court held hearings in the FRAND dispute between ZTE and Samsung that could produce an interim licence decision as early as this week. Samsung v ZTE interim licence hearing tests the limits of UK's 'jurisdictional imperialism' - IAM 🔒 

Dolby lost in its Federal Circuit bid to compel the disclosure of Unified Patents’ membership. Dolby Loses in Appeal to Force Disclosure of Tech Group Members - Bloomberg 🔒 

Licensor Sun Patent Trust brought new UPC actions against Chinese smartphone maker Vivo. Michael Ma - LinkedIn post  

Policy & Opinion 

Prospects for US patent reform legislation have improved, former USPTO Director David Kappos told Sisvel Insights in an exclusive interview. Sisvel | “US playing secondary role in global SEP disputes,” says former USPTO head 

Patent pools like the Sisvel Cellular IoT programme have a key role to play in the green energy transition as smart meters continue to proliferate. Sisvel | Why Europe’s smart meter revolution needs patent pools 

Strategy & Analysis 

Sisvel’s Nick Dudziak discussed the recent launch of Sisvel Bespoke in an interview with IAM. Sisvel launches customised licensing service, reflecting wider industry dealmaking trends - IAM 🔒 

Private equity firms are increasingly hunting for opportunities to buy patents on the secondary market. Trend watch: private equity investors eyeing patents - IAM🔒 

The US Federal Circuit found patent claims ineligible in more than 90% of its Section 101 decisions in 2024. Federal Circuit keeps tightening the noose on patent eligibility - IAM 🔒 

As the UPC marks its second anniversary, fundamental questions remain to be answered by Court of Appeal. Two years in, UPC’s legal identity is pending with Court of Appeal | MLex 🔒