HTC finally gives in, pays for Nokia's patents

In a press release Nokia announced HTC and the Nordic company have agreed to settle all outstanding patent litigation and enter into a a patent and technology collaboration agreement.

While some are painting the announcement as a peace settlement, the truth is that it is more of a capitulation on HTC’s part, as noted by the fact that HTC will be paying Nokia undisclosed fees.

HTC will also be sharing its own LTE patents with Nokia, which should help ensure Nokia’s Advanced Technology division remains relevant in the years to come. The full terms of the agreement are confidential.

“We are very pleased to have reached a settlement and collaboration agreement with HTC, which is a long standing licensee for Nokia’s standards essential patents,” said Paul Melin, chief intellectual property officer at Nokia. “This agreement validates Nokia’s implementation patents and enables us to focus on further licensing opportunities.”

Nokia has already won regular patent royalty payments from Apple, and HTC’s eventual surrender was inevitable, after losing 4 infringement cases in a row against Nokia.

“Nokia has one of the most preeminent patent portfolios in the industry,” said Grace Lei, General Counsel of HTC. “As an industry pioneer in smartphones with a strong patent portfolio, HTC is pleased to come to this agreement, which will enable us to stay focused on innovation for consumers.”

The companies also agreed to explore future technology collaboration opportunities.

See the press release here.