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.

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Comments by US Deputy Assistant Attorney General Dina Kallay last week have revealed that the US and the EU are an ocean apart in their approach to licensing negotiation groups (LNGs).

Kallay, who is responsible for international, policy and appellate matters at the Department of Justice, had previously hinted that LNGs could fall foul of US law. She has now made this view explicit and applied it to the auto-sector group that recently earned the blessing of both the German Bundeskartellamt and DG COMP.

“The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Competition’s recent comfort letter to the EU automotive sector,” said Kallay, “seems to have permitted collusive licensing negotiation groups, which constitute illegal buyers’ cartels under US antitrust law.”

The emerging US-EU split on this issue raises questions about the viability of LNGs in an SEP market where business is usually concluded on a global basis.

In other policy news, the European Parliament has decided to sue the European Commission over its decision to withdraw the SEP Regulation earlier this year. The vote tees up a CJEU clash that will have far-reaching implications for the balance of power between the bloc’s legislature and its executive. In the SEP sphere, it means further uncertainty and delay. Even if the commission were forced to take up the measure again, it would do so in a very different context and the path ahead would be no clearer.

Elsewhere, statistics show that the Munich I Regional Court is enjoying a boom in popularity for patent disputes; while Sisvel government affairs head Matteo Sabattini gave context to the firm’s decision to become a founding signatory of the WIPO mediation pledge for IoT SMEs.

Please note that the 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 flagging.

Market

NEC became the latest licensor to join the Sisvel Cellular IoT pool. The programme now counts 37 patent owners among its members, covering well over half of relevant SEPs. Sisvel | NEC joins Sisvel Cellular IoT pool as a licensor

Access Advance announced several new licensors and licensees to its HEVC Advance and VVC Advance pools. Access Advance Announces Major Growth in Its HEVC and VVC Patent Pools – Access Advance

Legal

The anti-anti-suit injunction obtained by Amazon in the UK may lead to a flood of similar actions, InterDigital has warned. InterDigital warns of “flood” of UK anti-anti-suit injunctions in Amazon dispute 🔒

Policy & Opinion

A top US antitrust official has said that the Justice Department considers the automotive LNG formed in Germany in 2024 to be an illegal buyers’ cartel. Licensing negotiation groups branded “illegal buyers’ cartels” in the US – IAM 🔒

The European Parliament has voted to sue the European Commission over its decision to withdraw the SEP Regulation, setting up a CJEU clash. Lawmakers vote to sue EU Commission over SEP Regulation withdrawal 🔒

Sisvel government affairs lead Matteo Sabattini explains why Sisvel has joined the recently announced WIPO mediation pledge to IoT SMEs. Sisvel | Sisvel signs up to give SMEs IoT patent licensing peace of mind

The UK interim licence regime started with a reasonable premise, but its application has been seriously flawed. How the UK’s interim FRAND licence experiment lost its way - IAM 🔒

Strategy & Analysis

Qualcomm’s John Han described the company’s 5G renewal cycle in depth at IPBC Asia in Tokyo. Qualcomm’s John Han on 5G renewals, negotiation essentials and winning Transsion’s trust – IAM 🔒

The Munich I Regional Court is set to record a significant increase in case filings during 2025. Munich I Regional Court already above 275 new patent cases for 2025, up 20% from last year’s total – ip fray

Policy changes, AI tools and litigation funding could make 2026 a record year for US patent litigation. A Perfect Storm for Increased Patent Litigation in 2026 – Law.com 🔒