By YUAN SHENGGAO | China Daily |
The protection of intellectual property has an important role in the innovation of cellular wireless communication and the long-term development of the country's economy, said Chen Liren, president and CEO of InterDigital.
"Fundamental innovation, patent portfolio development and IP licensing can collectively play a powerful role in promoting further long-term research," said Chen, who shared his insights on IP protection during the 12th China Intellectual Property Annual Conference in Jinan, Shandong, which was held on Sept 19-20.
InterDigital, a United States-headquartered global wireless communication, video technology and artificial intelligence technology provider, has been a vital contributor to these key technologies and global standards over several decades.
In recent years, leading Chinese companies in industries such as smartphones, connected automobiles and the internet of things have benefited from advances in 5G, Wi-Fi, video, AI and other technologies, Chen said.
By taking a license to core patents, these companies can freely implement innovative technologies in their devices. This open and global technology standardization, combined with IP-based cooperation, has helped Chinese manufacturers thrive in both domestic and international markets, he added.
"Compared to closed proprietary standards, open, collaborative and truly global standards offer more benefits to Chinese equipment manufacturers," Chen said.
"This is not only important for Chinese smartphone manufacturers, but also for manufacturers in other fields such as automobiles, where China's leading position continues to grow. Standardized technology plays an increasingly important role in these fields."
Currently InterDigital holds more than 30,000 patents and applications, many of which have been declared essential patents for cellular communications, Wi-Fi and video compression standards. More importantly, InterDigital's patents are consistently ranked among the highest in quality by third-party reports, according to the company.
"This patent portfolio is of significant value, which enables us to share our innovations with businesses worldwide through IP licensing, ensuring that every participant from equipment manufacturers to end consumers can benefit from more advanced technologies," Chen said.
"By participating in various standardization organizations and taking a leading role in multiple standardization organizations, we are keenly aware of the importance of collaboration on wireless communication and video technology innovation."
IP protection is crucial for the sustainable development of the communications technology industry because all leading companies in technology fields such as 5G invest significant expertise, time and capital in developing and maintaining their patent portfolios, the CEO said.
