The SEPs Debate and Surrounding Issues: Part -IV

The domain of SEPs is highly engrossed with multitude of issues, as it is generally understood. Most of the issues come from patent holders' anti-competitive behavior, which includes unilateral rejection to license, patent ambushes, patent hold-ups, strategic injunctive relief, royalty staking, and breach of F/RAND Commitments, both inside and outside of SSOs (national & international). One of the key tenets of standards is that they be universally recognized and applied once they have been approved. Suppliers view standards as a way to meet consumer needs while also offering a chance to pave the way for innovation through compatibility, complementarily and interoperability. Standards thus have an impact on both innovation and the dissemination of technology since they create a technological infrastructure with a significant public benefit component. The previous article provided the readers with a comprehensive introduction to SEPs and their implications in the modern intellectual property landscape. This issue of this yearlong series will take the baton further to dwell on the issues circumventing around this domain of SEPs.