Lenovo has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against ASUSTeK Computer Inc. and ASUS Computer International (ASUS) in the United States. Submitted on November 15th to the United States International Trade Commission (ITC), Lenovo claims that ASUS has violated several of its patents related to software, hardware, and connectivity in multiple ASUS products.
This action is in response to ASUS filings in August 2023 before the Munich Regional Court related to mobile technologies, where Lenovo had offered a cross-license agreement as a solution. In other words, Lenovo tried to reach an agreement, ASUS did not want to, and that is why legal action is now being taken. Unfortunately, Lenovo has not specified which patents are affected, nor the ASUS devices that infringe them. Given that they are mobile patents, we could be talking about laptops and smartphones, as well as their networking business.
Lenovo is a strong advocate of cross-licensing agreements, open and transparent negotiations, and licensing within the industry on fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms. This is evident in the ongoing litigation with InterDigital Group, where it called for greater transparency and less discrimination in licensing negotiations and the UK court demonstrated that it was a willing licensee.
The action against ASUSTeK reflects the Group’s commitment to protecting its significant contributions to technological innovation and the industry’s “firsts” over the past 39 years, creating a portfolio of over 28,000 patents with another 14,000 applications pending.
Lenovo’s lawsuit comes to protect its IP from ASUS’s improper use
As indicated, Lenovo invests $2.2 billion a year in research and development. Due to the new market boom, Lenovo recently announced an additional $1 billion investment focused solely on Artificial Intelligence innovation. Lenovo holds 24th place out of 50 “most innovative companies in the world,” which is a clear reflection of the importance of its patents and intellectual property.
We will have to wait to find out what these claims really imply, and whether ASUS will back down and pay for their use. The most logical thing would be to pay the royalties that any brand has to pay for using technology that is not its own. If not, a judge will determine ASUS’s guilt and force the company to pay the appropriate fine set by Lenovo.
“We believe it is time to more actively assert our patent portfolio, given its strength and our position and experience as both licensees and licensors – to achieve greater balance in licensing,” said John Mulgrew, Deputy General Counsel and Director of Intellectual Property at Lenovo.
“While litigation is always Lenovo’s last resort, we believe we need to protect our intellectual property while continuing to promote transparency in licensing to enable ongoing investment in innovation and ensure that customers worldwide can benefit from the proliferation of affordable technology.”
The news story, “Lenovo has sued ASUS in the U.S. for infringing several of its patents,” first appeared in El Chapuzas Informático.