Chinese technology giant Huawei and American PC manufacturer HP Inc. jointly announced on August 26 the signing of a multi-year global patent cross-licensing agreement. Under the terms of the deal, HP gains the right to use Huawei's Wi-Fi-related patents in computers and other electronic peripherals sold worldwide by the company.
Huawei's Chief Intellectual Property Officer, Fan Jiyun, stated in a release that the company is pleased with the agreement, viewing it as convincing evidence of Huawei's ongoing independent innovation in advanced information and communication technologies. Steven Gaisler, who represented Huawei during the negotiations, noted that this cross-licensing agreement includes valuable mutual patent grants from HP.
Both companies did not start from scratch. In August 2025, Huawei filed a lawsuit against HP at the Munich branch of the European Patent Office regarding an unlicensed Wi-Fi 6 patent. In November 2025, HP joined the Sisvel Wi-Fi 6 patent pool, gaining unified access to approximately 2000 patents necessary for the standards, after which Huawei withdrew its legal claim.
The new agreement extends rights for Wi-Fi 6 and expands coverage to a broader portfolio of Huawei Wi-Fi, including the latest Wi-Fi 7 standard. An HP representative emphasized that this deal is a license for patents required for Wi-Fi standards and does not imply broader strategic or commercial relationships with Huawei.
This pact underscores Huawei's deep expertise in wireless communications, despite the US government continuing to call on allies to restrict its activities. Huawei reported that by the end of 2025, over 1.6 billion consumer electronic devices (excluding phones) used its Wi-Fi patents, among licensees including HP, Microsoft, Sony, Asus, Acer, and Amazon. Huawei charges a royalty of $0.50 per unit for Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7 consumer products and reported patent and royalty revenue of $630 million in 2024.
The agreement is the latest example of Huawei's patent strategy, which is expanding amid a complex international environment. Huawei stated that it has concluded over 260 patent licensing agreements with major ICT companies in the US, Europe, Japan, and South Korea, adding another 34 new agreements in 2025. In addition to generating income from its portfolio, these deals demonstrate that Huawei's wireless technologies are widely used outside of China, even where its hardware business faces restrictions.
