Guidance

UK SEPs Case Law

This section of the SEPs Resource Hub signposts to relevant UK cases concerning SEPs.

From:: Intellectual Property Office
Published: 22 July 2024
Last updated: 199 ~~May~~July ~~2025~~2026 — See all updates

Introduction

The Dispute resolution and remedies in SEP licensing guidance explores the types of disputes that may arise during the licensing process of standard essential patents (SEPs) and raises awareness of the services and options available for parties to resolve their disputes. As stated in that guidance, one example of where disputes are resolved is through court litigation. This section of the Resource Hub covers case information on disputes that have been litigated within the UK.

UK SEP case law

Below is a list of key UK SEP cases with an outline of the SEPs issue(s) dealt with by the UK courts and a link to the full court judgment. More information regarding the SEPs issues that have arisen in UK SEP case law can be found throughout the guidance supplied in the SEPs Resource Hub.

Table of UK SEP cases

This is a non-exhaustive list of UK SEP cases. Selected cases below are divided by UK courts and are shown in reverse chronological order:

UK Supreme Court

Case	Key issues	Link to judgment
Tesla, Inc & Anor (Appellants) v InterDigital Patent Holdings Inc & Ors (Respondents) (No 1) [Case ID: UKSC/2025/0058] Tesla, Inc & Anor (Appellants) v InterDigital Patent Holdings Inc & Ors (Respondents) (No 2) [Case ID: UKSC/2025/0058/A]	- FRAND terms - Appropriate forum for FRAND determination - Licences from intermediaries	Note: These cases were heard by the UK Supreme court on 27-29 April 2026. Judgment had not yet been handed down. For updates: Tesla, Inc and another (Appellants) v Interdigital Patent Holdings and others (Respondents) - UK Supreme Court
Optis Cellular Technology LLC & Ors (Respondents) v Apple Retail UK Limited & Ors (Appellants) (No 1) [Case ID: UKSC/2025/0144] Optis Cellular Technology LLC & Ors (Respondents) v Apple Retail UK Limited & Ors (Appellants) (No 2) [Case ID: UKSC/2025/0145]	- FRAND terms for global portfolios - Forum for rate determination - Royalties for past sales - Parallel proceedings	Note: these cases are listed for hearing by the UK Supreme Court on 29 June – 1 July 2026. For updates: Optis Cellular Technology LLC and others (Respondents) v Apple Retail UK Limited and others (Appellants) No 1 - UK Supreme Court
Unwired Planet International Ltd and another v Huawei Technologies (UK) Co Ltd and another ~~[2020]~~[2020] UKSC 37	- Consideration of appropriate forum for determination of a SEP dispute - FRAND terms - Abuse of dominant position - Injunctions (and prohibitory injunctions)	Unwired Planet International Ltd and another v Huawei Technologies (UK) Co Ltd and another - Find case law - The National Archives

UK Court of Appeal

England and Wales High Court of Justice

Lenovo Group Limited & Ors v Ericsson & Ors [2024] EWHC 846 (Ch)	- Consideration of appropriate forum for determination of a SEP dispute - Jurisdiction; Service out of jurisdiction	Lenovo Group Ltd & Ors v Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ) & Anor [2024] EWHC 846 (Ch) (18 April 2024) (bailii.org)
Lenovo Group Limited & Ors v InterDigital Technology Corporation & Ors [2024] EWHC 596 (Ch)	- FRAND terms - Interim declarations - Foreign proceedings; Germany - Stay of proceedings	Lenovo Group Ltd & Ors v InterDigital Technology Corporation & Ors [2024] EWHC 596 (Ch) (21 March 2024) (bailii.org)
Nokia Technologies Oy & Anor v OnePlus Technology (Shenzhen) Co, Ltd & Ors [2023] EWHC 1912 (Pat)	- Abuse of dominant position - FRAND terms - Jurisdiction China; Foreign law; Foreign proceedings - Undertakings - Injunction	Nokia Technologies Oy & Anor v OnePlus Technology (Shenzhen) Co, Ltd & Ors - Find case law - The National Archives
Interdigital Technology Corporation v Lenovo Group Limited [2023] EWHC 539 (Pat)	- FRAND terms - Injunctions - Licences	Interdigital Technology Corporation & Ors. v Lenovo Group Limited & Ors. - Find case law - The National Archives
Koninklijke Philips N.V. v Guangdong Oppo Mobile Telecommunications Corp, Ltd & Ors. [2022] EWHC 1703 (Pat)	- Patent infringement - FRAND terms - Anti-suit injunction	Koninklijke Philips N.V. v Guangdong Oppo Mobile Telecommunications Corp, Ltd & Ors. - Find case law - The National Archives
Kigen (UK) Limited v Thales Dis France SA [2022] EWHC 2846 (Pat)	- FRAND terms - Licences - Case management - Stay of proceedings	Kigen (UK) Limited v Thales Dis France SA - Find case law - The National Archives
Optis Cellular Technology LLC v Apple Retail UK Ltd (Trial “F”) [2021] EWHC 2564 (Pat) (Appealed to case [2022] EWCA Civ 1411)	- Consideration of ETSI IPR Policy Clause 6.1 - FRAND terms - Abuse of a dominant position - Injunctions	Optis Cellular Technology LLC & Ors v Apple Retail UK Ltd & Ors [2021] EWHC 2564 (Pat) (27 September 2021) (bailii.org)
Unwired Planet International Ltd v Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd & Anor [2017] EWHC 711 (Pat) (Appealed to case [2018] EWCA Civ 2344)	- FRAND terms - Abuse of dominant position - Final Injunctions - Declarations	Unwired Planet International Ltd v Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd & Anor - Find case law - The National Archives
Conversant v Huawei and ZTE [2018] EWHC 2549 (Ch)	- Patent infringement - Anti-suit injunction	Conversant Wireless Licensing SARL v Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd & Ors - Find case law - The National Archives

Global SEP litigation

SEP litigation can occur globally, with multiple global jurisdictions hearing and issuing decisions on SEP disputes.

More case information on global SEP dispute cases can be found using WIPO Lex. WIPO Lex is a free online source which provides access to legal information on intellectual property from around the world. Please note not all global SEP dispute cases will be hosted on WIPO Lex.

For further queries about WIPO Lex please refer to, WIPO Lex Frequently Asked Questions.

Disclaimer

This UK SEPs case law information is for guidance purposes only. It does not constitute legal, business, financial or other professional advice and should not be relied upon when taking IP related, business, legal or other decisions. The IPO is not responsible for the use that might be made of this information. Appropriate professional advice should be sought. This UK SEPs case law resource is not a substitute for proper legal advice. Every effort is made to ensure that the information provided is accurate and up to date as at the time of publication, but no legal responsibility is accepted for any errors or omissions (including on third party websites and material signposted above).

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Published 22 July 2024

Last updated 199 ~~May~~July ~~2025~~2026 ~~href="#full-history">~~+— ~~show~~ Show all updates

9 July 2026
New SEP case law for SEP Resource Hub added.

19 May 2025
Additional cases added to UK Court of Appeal and England and Wales High court of Justice tables.
22 July 2024
First published.

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