故歐盟執委會於2017年11月29向歐盟議會、歐洲理事會等提出「關於建立歐盟對標準必要專利的處理方式」(European Commission, Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council and the European Economic and Social Committee setting out the EU approach to Standard Essential Patent, COM(2017) 712 Final)的報告。歐洲理事會2018年3月12日接受歐盟執委會的方向,故歐盟執委會目前正在研究中,將於2020年提出正式的建議。
過去雖然許多行動通訊相關公司很熟悉4G標準以下的標準必要專利授權,但是其他電器廠商未必熟悉,因此,CEN和CENELEC 共同組成了工作坊,並希望提出相關的CWA。2019年6月,CEN/CENELEC工作坊正式提出了「5G和物聯網標準必要專利授權的原則和指引」(Principles and Guidance for Licensing Standard Essential Patents in 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT))[4],編號為CWA17431,以下簡稱「5G和物聯網授權原則和指引」。
European Commission, Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council and the European Economic and Social Committee setting out the EU approach to Standard Essential Patent, COM(2017) 712 Final, at 3.
Id. at 6-8
Id. at 9-11.
CEN Workshop Agreement, Principles and Guidance for Licensing Standard Essential Patents in 5G and the Internet of Things(IoT), including the Industrial Internet, CWA17431:2019.
Id. at 3.
Principle 1: Owners of patent rights which are essential for using standardised technologies (SEPs) should allow access to that patented technology for implementing and using the standard.
Principle 2: Both the SEP owner and the potential licensee should act in good faith with respect to each other with the aim of concluding a FRAND licence agreement in a timely and efficient manner.
Principle 3: Each party should provide to the other party, consistent with the protection of confidentiality, information that is reasonably necessary to enable the timely conclusion of a FRAND licence.
Principle 4: "Fair and reasonable" compensation should be based upon the value of the patented standardised technology to its users.
Principle 5: A SEP owner should not discriminate between similarly situated competitors.
Principle 6:If the parties are unable to conclude a FRAND licence agreement within a reasonable timeframe they may seek to agree to third party determination of a FRAND licence either by a court or through binding arbitration.