The Ping-Pong Olympics of Antisuit Injunction in FRAND Litigation

Abstract

In the past two years, antisuit injunctions (ASIs) and subsequent legal proceedings associated with standard-essential patents (SEPs) subject to fair, reasonable, and nondiscriminatory (FRAND) commitments have proliferated in multiple jurisdictions. This phenomenon reveals not only the transnational nature of technical standards and FRAND-encumbered SEPs but also the jurisdictional tension between different national courts. This Article explains the emergence of ASIs in FRAND scenarios and recent developments in six jurisdictions with major interests in standard development and adoption. Countries have developed different approaches to ASIs based on their own domestic rules and interests. We believe that to promote technical compatibility and international comity, it is necessary to facilitate legal compatibility between jurisdictions at the policy level. Currently, courts in multiple jurisdictions are competing to grant ASIs and anti-anti-suit injunctions (AASIs), leading to fragmented decisions and significant costs for global standardization. We propose to include an exclusive forum selection clause in the policy documents of standard-setting organizations (SSOs) to reduce undesirable transaction costs stemming from ASIs and subsequent legal actions. Our proposal is more realistic and cost-effective than others concerning FRAND dispute resolution.