DT Mobile patents triumph over Samsung challenges

Two patents owned by DT Mobile have successfully withstood challenges from Samsung, as per announcements made by the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) last week.

The two DT Mobile patents in question are identified by the Chinese patent numbers ZL201210137097.1 and ZL201010571102.0.

The ZL201210137097.1 patent, titled "Carrier Aggregation Feedback Method, Device, and System," underwent partial invalidation following review by a CNIPA panel.

The ZL201010571102.0 patent, titled "Method and Device for Random Access," was upheld as valid by the CNIPA panel.

These are the first two patents for which Samsung's invalidation requests have been decided among at least 11 patents challenged by Samsung against DT Mobile so far. The invalidity proceedings for the remaining patents are still ongoing.

Disputes between DT Mobile and Samsung date back to February 2023, when DT Mobile announced that it has filed six separate lawsuits against Samsung at China’s Fuzhou Intermediate Court. DT Mobile alleged infringement of six invention patents and sought injunctions and damages totaling 123 million yuan.

In September 2023, further details about DT Mobile's claims emerged. DT Mobile also requested the court to issue licensing conditions for its 4G and 5G standard essential patents worldwide, as well as in China.

Samsung countered in a claim filed against DT Mobile in a US court, alleging that DT Mobile's utilization of injunctions as a means of threatening constitutes a violation of FRAND principles and good faith negotiation standards.

Whether the Fuzhou Intermediate Court will issue rulings or injunctions is yet to be seen.

According to relevant reports, in China Samsung also faces lawsuits from other Chinese companies, including BOE and IWNCOMM.

Recognizing the value of Chinese patents is a crucial issue for Samsung in navigating the Chinese market, according to IP analysts.