SEP Essentials

Several of my recent posts have focused on the third prong of standard and SEP analysis: the competition law aspects (see e.g. Back to Basics – An Overview of Competition Law, Standard Development and Standard Setting ).  The Chinese government also has been contemplating how SEP related issues should be addressed under the competition laws and has just released new Anti-Monopoly Guidelines for Standard Essential Patents ( Notice of the State Administration for Market Regulat

My posts reflect my personal experiences and conclusions, grounded in my observations and supporting evidence. I also recognize the value of diverse perspectives in understanding standards and SEP-related issues. To enrich the conversation, I have decided to host occasional guest posts that offer insights and reflections from individuals with unique expertise or interesting viewpoints.   My first guest post is from Earl Nied. Earl writes his own posts (see Earl Nied | LinkedI

In Convergence and Competition – A Tale of Two Standards Part 1 (the Early Years: Peaceful Co-Existence) ( sepessentials.com ) , I discussed the early peaceful co-existence of two of the world’s most important telecommunications standards, cellular and WiFi, in the early days of each standard.   In those days, WiFi and cellular carried different types of information (data vs voice) using different protocols (IP vs circuit switched) on different portions of the spectrum (unlic

Two of the world’s most important telecommunications standards - cellular and WiFi - have gone from complementary coexistence to escalating competition with each other.  At the same time, the participants in cellular and WiFi standard development, the technology itself, and the applications of the technology, have begun converging.  At stake is the lucrative IoT market – a winner take all market that does not need the same bells and whistles as smart phones or even connected

Industry standards can be very beneficial to the public good.  They can make products more efficient and less costly to manufacture, ensure that products sold by different companies work well together (“interoperate”), increase safety, improve quality and enable further technological innovation.  In short, “good standards are good for business, good for consumers, and good for society.” [1] But, because of the nature of standard development and of standards themselves, the p