Acer Slaps AT&T, T-Mobile And Verizon With Lawsuit Over 4G/5G Wireless Patents
Acer has filed individual lawsuits against all three major wireless carriers in the United States, including AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. According to Acer, the three carriers collectively infringed on half a dozen U.S. patents "covering key advancements in cellular networking," and now it's taken them to court after failing to reach a licensing agreement.
"We are deeply committed to innovating and delivering high-quality telecommunications solutions," Kate Shang, Acer’s IP Leader, said in a statement. "These companies have benefited from cellular technology that Acer has developed through many years of sustained research and development."
Part of what makes the lawsuit unusual is that Acer is best known for its PC products, including desktops, laptops, gaming handhelds (eventually, anyway), and a wide range of components and peripherals such as monitors (including ones introduced at CES), graphics cards, and other gear. It also dabbles in lifestyle products like e-bikes and even luggage. Even so, the general public is not likely to associate Acer with the likes of AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon.
Nevertheless, it's Acer's position that all three wireless carriers are infringing on six patents related to 4G LTE and 5G technologies. They include the following...
- US8,737,333: Method of power reporting and communication device thereof
- US9,526,048: Method of handling measurement gap configuration and communication device thereof
- US9,999,097: Method of radio bearer establishment in dual connectivity
- US10,237,791: Method of updating network detection and selection information and traffic routing information
- US11,044,053: Device and method of handling code block group-based communication operation
- US11,252,641: Method of system information transmission and acquisition
In a press release, Acer insinuated that it is not being a patent troll with its lawsuits, and says it spent a "significant period of time" discussing potential licensing agreements with all three carriers before resorting to litigation.
"Acer has historically focused on its core business and innovation, rather than litigation," added Ms. Shang. "Unfortunately, the companies have refused to take licenses for Acer’s technology on fair terms forcing this step."
Ready for the plot twist? According to a Substack post by Michael Ma, the lawsuit is really about any of the wireless carriers involved and is instead intended to pressure Nokia into a licensing deal. Ma points out that Acer filed its three lawsuits against the carriers less than 24 hours after Nokia announced a settlement with Chinese TV maker Hisense.
The broader history there is that Nokia filed a declaratory judgement lawsuit against Acer last September in hopes that a court would rule that it doesn't infringe on nine of Acer's patents. Five of those patents are the same ones involved in Acer's new lawsuits against AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon.
Top Image Source: Acer
