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Frankfurt Court Throws Out Samsung’s Antitrust Suit Against ZTE

By  |  February 26, 2026

Samsung has failed in its attempt to advance an antitrust claim against Chinese telecommunications company ZTE at the Regional Court in Frankfurt, marking another setback in the companies’ ongoing global dispute over standard-essential patents.

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    The Frankfurt court dismissed Samsung’s lawsuit alleging abusive market conduct, according to a statement confirming the outcome of the proceedings. The case, identified as 2-06 O 426/24, represents the second effort by a patent implementer in Germany to seek a judicial review of fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) licensing terms outside the country’s traditional patent litigation framework.

    Details of the ruling have not been made public and are unlikely to be released due to the confidential information involved, per a statement from the court. While the court confirmed that Samsung’s application had been rejected, it indicated that the full judgment would probably remain unpublished because of sensitive material contained in the decision.

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    Samsung initiated the claim at the end of 2024, seeking a contract formation ruling related to FRAND licensing terms. The company argued that ZTE held a dominant market position and had refused to grant Samsung a license on FRAND terms. However, the court did not side with the South Korean electronics manufacturer. Samsung retains the option to appeal the decision.

    According to a statement referencing information from JUVE Patent, this is the first time a German court has issued a decision on a competition law-based claim of this nature. A prior attempt in a separate matter did not result in a final ruling.

    The dismissal adds to a series of challenges Samsung has faced in its broader standard-essential patent dispute with ZTE. The company was previously unsuccessful in seeking an interim licence in the United Kingdom. It also withdrew a complaint filed with the European Telecommunications Standards Institute concerning ZTE’s conduct, according to a statement related to the proceedings.

    Meanwhile, the core patent litigation between the two companies continues in both Germany and the Unified Patent Court. The UPC’s Mannheim local division is scheduled to hear the first lawsuit between Samsung and ZTE on 17 March. The proceedings involve infringement claims filed by both parties, under case numbers UPC_CFI_188/2025 and UPC_CFI_850/2024.

    Additional oral hearings are planned at the Munich Regional Court later in March and April, as the dispute over licensing terms and patent rights moves forward in multiple jurisdictions.

    Source: Juve Patent