BRUSSELS, FEBRUARY 18 - The EU is suing China before the World Trade Organization (WTO) for preventing European companies from protecting their rights on "essential standard" patents, such as those on 3G, 4G mobile network technologies and 5G.
The European Commission announces it.
Under international trade rules, the holders of these patents must license them to manufacturers, for example of mobile phones, on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms.
If the manufacturer does not comply with these conditions and produces without a license, the rights holder can request compensation.
Since August 2020, however, Beijing has decided that Chinese courts can prohibit patent holders from going to a non-Chinese court through an "anti-lawsuit" injunction, with fines of 130,000 euros per day for those who do not comply.
This is a form of pressure, explains the European Commission, which prevents EU companies with high-tech patents from legitimately protecting their technologies and ends up damaging innovation and growth in Europe.
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