[Edaily Reporter KIM JUNG YOU ] China’s Huawei has signed a cross-licensing agreement for Wi-Fi-related patents with U.S. computer manufacturer HP.

According to a report by the Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP) on the 26th, the two companies signed a multi-year global cross-licensing agreement for patents. Under this agreement, HP will pay a certain royalty and obtain the right to use specific Huawei Wi-Fi patents in its PC products.

Alan Fan, Director of Intellectual Property (IP) at Huawei, stated, “This agreement clearly demonstrates Huawei’s achievements in driving continuous innovation in the ICT sector,” adding, “Through patent licensing, Huawei is sharing its innovations with the industry, particularly in the field of standardized technologies.”

This agreement stemmed from a Wi-Fi 6 patent infringement lawsuit that Huawei filed against HP last year. The dispute began to resolve last November when HP secured a license for some of the patents by joining the patent pool managed by the Italian IP management firm Sisbel as a licensee (granting the right to use patents included in the pool).

In a statement, HP clarified, “This agreement is a license for Standard Essential Patents (SEPs) related to Wi-Fi technology, which is widely used across the industry,” adding, “It is merely a routine procedure commonly undertaken among companies that support Wi-Fi connectivity and does not imply an in-depth strategic or commercial partnership with Huawei.”

Huawei has recently been accelerating efforts to monetize its extensive patent portfolio, which spans telecommunications to audio and video technologies.

Last year, Huawei invested 192.3 billion yuan (approximately $28.6 billion) in research and development (R&D), amounting to about 22% of its revenue. As one of the world’s largest patent holders, Huawei held more than 165,000 valid registered patents as of last year.

Huawei has expanded its IP influence by signing more than 260 licensing agreements with global IT companies—including Nokia, SamsungElectronics(005930), and Amazon—as well as domestic smartphone competitors such as Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi. As of 2024, revenue generated solely from patent licensing totaled more than $630 million.