This week CTT co-founder Dr. Roslyn Layton was published in Forbes, using the platform to discuss how Chinese-owned Huawei has hijacked the patent system in an effort to strong arm its way into the US 5G-network rollout. Referencing Huawei’s inability to license critical US technology, Dr. Layton states that the Chinese-backed firm is instead seeking to earn revenue in other ways, namely patent lawsuits and royalty claims. Citing Huawei’s ongoing legal battle with American telecommunications giant Verizon, Dr. Layton points to the Chinese-backed firm’s attempts to use the legal process to compel court discovery on Verizon and its supplier’s confidential information, enriching Huawei’s knowledge of competitors’ products and technology.
Given the shared rights of all patent holders in the United States, Huawei under law can now play “patent troll,” using patents that have been acquired from other companies to sue American companies. This is especially ironic given the company’s recent unmasking as an arm of the Chinese military, and long and storied history of intellectual property theft, money laundering, obstruction of justice, sanctions violations, racketeering and conspiracy to commit to steal trade secrets. The same company that for years has stolen IP – and been a hotbed for corrupt business practices – is now using the power of the US court system against the American companies it stole from, an unfair practice that policymakers must work to swiftly end.
Dr. Layton notes the actions taken by Congressional leaders to combat the patent and IP issues plaguing the 5G sector, pointing to the leadership shown by Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL). These Senators have proposed bills that would stop Huawei – and possibly any company on the Entity List – from abusing the benefits afforded to patent holders in the US, which are meant to protect legitimate market players, not Chinese patent trolls. We at CTT hope that their Congressional colleagues will join them in their efforts, ensuring US companies are not stunted by lawsuits and patent disputes that disrupt the rollout of crucial technologies like the 5th generation wireless network.
Read the full article from Dr. Roslyn Layton in Forbes here.