In a tit-for-tat move echoing the high-stakes world of telecommunications, HFI Innovation, a subsidiary of MediaTek (formerly known as联发科), has filed a lawsuit against five subsidiaries of Huawei in the Mannheim division of the Unified Patent Court (UPC) in Europe. The core of the dispute centers on alleged infringement of European patent EP2689624, which pertains to “Enhanced Physical Downlink Control Channel Search Space Configuration Method,” a key component of LTE technology. This latest action underscores the escalating patent battles between the two tech giants, a saga that began with Huawei’s own legal challenges against MediaTek.
The genesis of this legal sparring can be traced back to May 2024, when Huawei initiated patent infringement lawsuits against MediaTek in China, alleging infringements potentially related to 5G, as well as possibly 4G and 3G, cellular communication technologies. These initial actions followed unsuccessful patent licensing negotiations between the two companies, where Huawei sought a license for its 5G Standard Essential Patents (SEPs) portfolio. MediaTek reportedly declined, citing non-compliance with Fair, Reasonable, and Non-Discriminatory (FRAND) terms as the reason.
The legal skirmishes rapidly expanded. In July 2024, MediaTek and its subsidiaries, including HFI Innovation and MTK Wireless, counter-sued Huawei in the UK, accusing the company of infringing on its 4G/5G patents and seeking injunctions. Concurrently, MediaTek launched multiple lawsuits across multiple jurisdictions including, the UK, Germany, and various cities in Mainland China, targeting 4G/5G patent infringements, anti-trust, and rate determination, seeking injunctions in some of the cases.
Subsequently, the case has seen interventions by the courts. Huawei challenged the UK High Court’s jurisdiction regarding global FRAND rate setting. Following a ruling in March 2025, the Court dismissed Huawei’s challenge, affirming its right to determine MediaTek’s global FRAND rates.
Additional rulings from the Supreme Court regarding jurisdiction disputes, further clarified the legal landscape. The appeals lodged by both MediaTek and Huawei-related entities were ultimately dismissed, upholding the initial rulings on jurisdiction.
Huawei boasts a formidable patent portfolio, with over 150,000 valid patents worldwide as of the end of 2024. Over 50,000 of these are authorized in China, which shows a clear lead in China. Huawei has also attained over 29,000 granted patents in the U.S. and nearly 19,000 in Europe. Moreover, Huawei has consistently ranked first in terms of international patent applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) for eight consecutive years.
华为 owns 20% of 5G and WIFI6 patents and 10% of the 4G patents , as well as 15% of the NB-IoT and LTE-M patents.
As of 2022, MediaTek held more than 13,000 patents worldwide. Its emphasis on R&D spending has intensified. In 2024 the Taiwanese company increased its R&D expenditure to reach NT$132 billion.
The ongoing patent disputes between Huawei and MediaTek reflect a broader competition in the telecoms sector, where intellectual property rights are pivotal for market share and technological advancement. These litigations demonstrate the critical interplay between innovation, defense, and market access in the global technology landscape.
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