The European Union has initiated a formal complaint against China at the World Trade Organization, accusing China of engaging in “unfair and illegal trade practices” by unilaterally determining royalty rates for standard essential patents (SEPs) related to European-owned 5G technology. The complaint argues that China’s actions undermine the principles of fair competition and have significant implications for European businesses owning such patents.
This move intensifies the ongoing tensions around intellectual property rights between major economies and reflects the EU’s commitment to safeguard its technology sectors. SEPs, which are patents essential for industry standards like 5G, play a critical role in the telecom industry, and setting unilateral rates may affect global markets. For further details, please refer to the report by Law360.