Chinese tech giant Huawei formally filed a lawsuit against US telecom carrier Verizon on Thursday. Huawei suit alleges that Verizon had knowingly infringed on its intellectual property rights and is seeking just compensation.
The suit filed by the Chinese firm is expected to increase legal tensions between China and the United States. According to court filings, Huawei is accusing Verizon of using its technology protected by 12 patents filed in the United States. Huawei's lawsuit was filed in the Eastern and Western District courts of Texas.
Huawei stated that it had previously approached Verizon to negotiate possible licensing fees for the use of its patented technology. The company revealed that it did so back in February last year, even showing Verizon a list of patents and evidence. Unfortunately, both companies did not reach an amicable agreement, which has led Huawei to seek legal assistance.
The Chinese firm alleges that its patented technology is currently being used in a number of Verizon's services and products. This includes its patented technology being used in Verizon's network infrastructure. Huawei also claims that Verizon is using its technology for its consumer and enterprise applications, including the Verizon Smart Family app and its One Talk app.
Huawei's chief legal officer, Song Liuping, mentioned in a statement that Verizon has greatly benefited from Huawei's patented technology, which it had developed over many years of work. Song added that Huawei has been able to successfully negotiate patent license agreements with a lot of companies, but Verizon's failure to make a deal with it has forced it to find another solution.
Verizon fired back after Huawei filed its lawsuit, with the company's spokesman, Rich Young, calling the move as nothing more than a "PR Stunt. " Young added that the lawsuit is a clear attack on Verizon and on the nation as a whole. Verizon believes that the suit lacks any merit and it is prepared to defend itself in court.
The lawsuit filed by the Chinese company comes at a very precarious time as the US continued its campaign to ban Huawei from taking the lead in 5G network developments around the world. The US has continued to urge its allies to ban the Chinese firm from becoming involved in their 5G rollouts. US officials previously accused Huawei of being used as a tool by the Chinese government to spy on other nations. Huawei has repeatedly denied these accusations, standing by its claim that its products and services do not pose any security risks.
