EU takes China to WTO over high-tech patent royalties

Case over standard essential patents for 5G mobile phones among others

20250120 Chinese and EU flags

The Commission, which oversees trade policy for the 27-nation European Union, claims China has empowered its courts to set worldwide rates for high-tech EU companies, notably in the telecoms sector. © Reuters

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -- The European Commission filed a complaint at the World Trade Organization on Monday against what it said was China's "unfair and illegal" practice of setting worldwide royalty rates for EU standard essential patents without the patent owner's consent.

The Commission, which oversees the trade policy of the 27-nation European Union, said China had empowered its courts to set worldwide rates for high-tech EU companies, notably in the telecoms sector.

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