Patent licensing and FRAND: a new approach | Practical Law

Patent licensing and FRAND: a new approach | Practical Law

Two recent decisions clarify and supplement EU case law on the meaning of "fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory" terms in patent licences and provide guidance on how to conclude a FRAND licence and calculate FRAND royalties. This is the first time that an English court has made a FRAND determination and set a FRAND royalty rate. The decisions also signal the dawn of the FRAND defence which may result in a diminishing role for competition law in future FRAND cases.

Patent licensing and FRAND: a new approach

Practical Law UK Articles w-011-0614 (Approx. 6 pages)

Patent licensing and FRAND: a new approach

by Susie Middlemiss, Philippe Chappatte and Emma Waterhouse, Slaughter and May
Published on 26 Oct 2017European Union, United Kingdom
Two recent decisions clarify and supplement EU case law on the meaning of "fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory" terms in patent licences and provide guidance on how to conclude a FRAND licence and calculate FRAND royalties. This is the first time that an English court has made a FRAND determination and set a FRAND royalty rate. The decisions also signal the dawn of the FRAND defence which may result in a diminishing role for competition law in future FRAND cases.