HP Inc. Statement Regarding Patent Licensing Arrangement

Huawei's disclosure of a patent licensing arrangement has been mischaracterized, portraying the settlement of a legal dispute as a broader partnership.

Huawei is not a supplier to HP nor is HP a supplier to Huawei. HP is not incorporating any Huawei components or technology into HP products. The agreement is not a strategic partnership, nor a commercial alliance, nor a supply agreement, nor any other form of collaboration.

The reality is, Huawei owns a significant portfolio of Wi-Fi patents. They sued HP over use of those patents, seeking remedies including prohibiting sales of affected products. HP was forced to either license or litigate with the risk of limiting our ability to serve our customers. Given that risk, HP had no other choice but to resolve the dispute through a patent license.

This is not unique to HP. Standard-essential patent licenses covering Wi-Fi technology-something used broadly across the industry - are routine for companies whose products connect to Wi-Fi.

This is an all-too-common issue facing American technology companies. When standard-essential patent owners like Huawei sue companies with standards-compliant products, American companies often have no choice but to enter into licenses in exchange for the ability to continue serving customers.