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India: Ericsson probed for patent trolling

By  |  January 19, 2014

Following allegations against major telco equipment vendor Ericsson, reports say the Competition Commission of India has launched a formal investigation into the company.

The firm was reportedly accused of “discriminatory practices” by Intex Technologies, a complaint that followed similar allegations by Micromax Informatics that lead to an earlier probe launched last November.

Reports say the CCI has combined the two probes due to their similarities. The tech firms are accusing the Sweden-based company of demanding excessive royalties for the use of its patents that relate to GSM technology.

When the CCI launched its November probe into Ericsson, the company’s patent portfolio was reported to hold 33,000 patents, 400 of which granted within India. Reports say the portfolio makes the company the largest holder of mobile telco standard-essential patents.

Full Content: Livemint

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