Chinese smartphone giant Xiaomi is embroiled in legal battles in France and India over alleged patent infringement. The lawsuits, filed by Sun Patent Trust, a Delaware-based company, accuse Xiaomi of using LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) technology in its 4G handsets since late 2018 without a license.
Sun Patent Trust holds over 3,000 former Panasonic patents, including those for LTE-A technology, offering faster speeds and better performance than standard LTE. The company claims it has been trying to negotiate a licensing agreement with Xiaomi for over four years without success.
The lawsuits, totalling over $300 million, are currently being heard in the Delhi High Court in India and the Paris Judicial Court in France. The Delhi court will determine if Xiaomi infringed on the patents and if Sun Patent Trust fulfilled its obligations as the patent holder. The Paris court will decide on the appropriate royalty payments for licensing the technology.
"It's surprising that Xiaomi is refusing to come to terms at the negotiation table," said Joseph Casino, Managing Trustee of Sun Patent Trust. "We regret resorting to legal action, but Xiaomi's failure to negotiate a license leaves us no choice."
Xiaomi has yet to publicly comment on the allegations. The court cases are expected to take several months to conclude, and if found guilty, Xiaomi could face significant financial penalties
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