Context: Three months ago, Chinese smartphone maker OPPO ended its long-running patent dispute with Nokia by means of a cross-license agreement (January 24, 2024 ip fray article), a settlement that was in no small part enabled by the strength of OPPO’s own patents (January 17, 2024 ip fray article).
What’s new: On the occasion of World Intellectual Property Day, OPPO has just published a white paper on IP that contains various interesting facts about the company’s patent filing activity (notably also with respect to AI), its licensing strategy and its advocacy of balanced IP policies. There are some interesting numbers. For instance, “[a]s of March 31, 2024, OPPO has filed over 101,000 patent applications globally, with more than 55,000 patents granted.” OPPO has been among the world’s top 10 PCT patent filers for five years in a row.
Direct impact: Today’s announcement puts OPPO on the map of the global IP policy debate, a field in which the company used to keep a low profile. It is also a clear signal that OPPO is looking to enter into more technology-sharing agreements with other parties, seeking fair compensation for everyone involved. OPPO’s approach to IP is now generally going to be a two-way street to a greater extent than before the Nokia settlement.
Wider ramifications: It is one of ip fray‘s editorial policies to prioritize substance over geopolitics. Neither are all Asian implementers infringers nor are all Asian patent holders aggressive monetizers: the reality is rather nuanced, especially when companies are major patent holders and large-scale implementers at the same time.
OPPO issued two IP-related press releases today:
- OPPO releases its first Innovation and Intellectual Property White Paper on 20th anniversary
- World Intellectual Property Day: OPPO Maintains Top 10 Global IP Ranking for Fifth Consecutive Year
The White Paper itself is, at least for now, available only in Chinese (PDF).
OPPO is still a young company: a twen. For a long time, it was primarily considered an implementer and a licensee. The first signs of OPPO also owning (and valuing) intellectual property itself were its decisions to contribute patents to Avanci’s original automotive pool (4G at the time) and to Access Advance. Avanci is particularly known for a rigorous vetting process: without credible SEPs, they don’t let anyone join.
With today’s IP-related press releases and the detailed White Paper, OPPO is ushering in a new era for its approach to IP. This is not to say they’re going out now to sue everyone with their massive patent arsenal: to the tech industry’s relief, there are no signs of such an agenda. But OPPO is now exuding confidence. They’re proud of what their contributions to innovation in key fields such as wireless networks, wireless charging, video codecs and, which is so important now, AI. (See also an article by ip fray‘s affiliate ai fray on the mutually beneficial relationship between AI and standards.)
OPPO has filed more than 5,000 AI-related patents globally, the majority (roughly 70%) of them in AI imaging, but also with respect to speech technology, natural language processing and machine learning in general. One of today’s press releases states OPPO’s commitment “to advancing and popularizing AI Phones” and notes that OPPO’s latest and greatest product range, the Find X7 series, has 100+ AI-driven features. OPPO plans to incorporate Generative AI features such as AI Eraser and AI Magic Studio into more of its products.
As for cellular standards, OPPO holds 5G patents in more than 40 countries and regions, with well over 6,000 5G-related patent families applied globally, over 3,000 of them declared essential to ETSI, and more than 11K standards-related proposal to 3GPP on 5G alone. And the industry, including OPPO, is already working on 6G, which will be much more AI-oriented and partly AI-based.
OPPO also has a couple thousand patents on its VOOC Flash Charge technology, and says it has licensed that one to more than 50 parties. Other interesting numbers are its more than 12,000 imaging patent applications and more than 800 patent families related to video standards.
The White Paper starts with a foreword by Tony Chen, OPPO’s founder and CEO, and lays out three core principles:
- emphasizing technological innovation and intellectual property protection,
- mplementing a proactive defense intellectual property strategy, and
- promoting a long-term healthy intellectual property ecosystem establishment.
There are some interesting themes or mottos in today’s press releases:
- “Technology for Mankind, Kindness for the World” (also: “explore the beauty of technology and enable the kindness of technology”)
- “long-term advocate of intellectual property”
- “Becoming a healthier and more sustainable company”
The following quote suggests that OPPO is going to become a more active player now, not only in terms of increased proactive licensing activity but also as a company that can contribute to a more balanced IP policy debate:
“At OPPO, we believe that technological innovation and intellectual property protection are fundamental to our company’s past, present, and future success. Through our proactive defense IP strategy and commitment to fostering a healthy long-term IP ecosystem, we are fully committed to supporting the future of innovation as envisioned in the ‘OPPO Innovation and Intellectual Property White Paper.’”
Feng Ying, Chief Intellectual Property Officer of OPPO
ip fray will try to obtain an English translation of the White Paper and will, in any event, keep an eye on the further evolution of OPPO’s approach to intellectual property. The days in which one would hear about OPPO and patents only because of someone suing them may be over. There will always be cases where they have to defend themselves, there hopefully won’t be any where they feel forced to assert patents, but now there may also be more news about cross-license agreements, possibly also one-way license agreements where OPPO is the licensor, and it looks like they are increasingly going to weigh in on IP policy discussions as well.