In March, Huawei had filed a lawsuit against Xiaomi for allegedly infringing on four of its technology patents, and now Xiaomi is said to be seeking to invalidate a patent for a camera feature from the relevant authorities.
According to the China National Intellectual Property Administration, Xiaomi has recently filed an invalidation request for a Huawei patent with application number ZL201380073251.6. The patent is titled “A feature and device for taking panoramic images,” which helps smartphone users capture panoramic photos.
It’s worth noting that the patent ZL201380073251.6 is part of the four patents that Huawei accused Xiaomi of infringing upon.
Four Patents:
- ZL201110269715.3 – “Feature and device for sending control signaling”
- ZL201010137731.2 – “Feature for Feedback of ACK/NACK Information During Carrier Aggregation, Base Station and User Equipment”
- ZL201380073251.6 -“Feature and device for obtaining panoramic images”
- ZL201810188201.7 – “Feature for locking the screen and smartphones”.
Statement from Xiaomi: Following the news spreading on the internet, Xiaomi stated that both companies have been negotiating on this matter.
Xiaomi then said that it believes both Huawei and Xiaomi’s IP licensing and cooperation help promote innovation and public interest. According to the law, Xiaomi has three ways to deal with this patent lawsuit. These include:
- Proving that they did not infringe on any of the counterparty’s patents.
- Paying a royalty and purchasing rights for fair use.
- Applying for patent invalidation.
Xiaomi prefers third and applied for invalidation of the Huawei ZL201380073251.6 patent about the camera feature. If Xiaomi proves that the patent is invalid, it will no longer be subject to infringement.
Currently, Xiaomi has only applied for invalidation of one patent, and even if it invalidates one, it will still have to face Huawei with the other three.
