IPR Protection and Antitrust Regulation of SEPs in China

Abstract

This paper explores the practice of IPR protection and antitrust regulation of standard essential patents (SEPs) in China and discusses whether the licensing of SEPs should be regulated in a way different from other patent cases. With regard to IPR protection, the Chinese judiciary has actively taken a role in patent infringement trials. Differences are observed in SEP infringement lawsuits as compared to ordinary patent cases in terms of non-infringement defense, counter-injunction defense, and damages. In relation to antitrust regulation, the Chinese competition agencies and the courts have mainly focused on price-related abuses and SEP-related merger review, and paid particular attention to the possibility of SEP holders leveraging, tying SEPs with non-SEPs, and charging high royalty fees. Since SEPs have raised a different issue than other types of IPRs, a delicate balance between protecting the private interest of the SEP holders and the public interest of standardization will have to be re-struck.