International Developments relating to SEPs: An overview

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18256/2238-0604.2026.v22i.5371

Keywords:

SEP, estándares tecnológicos, FRAND, RAND, políticas sobre SEP.

Abstract

This article provides a non-exhaustive overview of recent international developments in the area of standards essential patents (SEPs), whereby it focuses on policy developments and excludes SEP case law matters from its scope. Against the background of the growing economic relevance of standardized technologies, it examines a selection of national, regional and international policy, institutional and procedural initiatives concerning SEPs. It includes SEP policy developments in Brazil, China, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as regional initiatives in Europe. As to developments relating to SEPs and IGOs with a global membership, the article mainly concentrates on WIPO’s SEP Strategy and implementing projects while briefly touching upon the WTO and the World Bank Group. Without advocating for a particular approach, the article identifies recurring themes across initiatives.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biography

  • Nina Belbl, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

    Doktor der Rechte (Dr. iur), Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Germany. Currently works as Legal Officer at WIPO. The views expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The content of the article is the responsibility of the author.

References

3GPP. About 3GPP. Available at: https://www.3gpp.org/about-us.

CADE. Contribuições do Cade: Patentes Essenciais, July 2025. Original language version available at: https://cdn.cade.gov.br/Portal/centrais-de-conteudo/publicacoes/contribuicoes-do-cade/Contribui%C3%A7%C3%B5es-do-Cade-Patentes-Essenciais.pdf. English translation available at: https://cdn.cade.gov.br/Portal/centrais-de-conteudo/publicacoes/contribuicoes-do-cade/Patentes%20Essenciais%20-%2028072025%20-%20Final%20-%20rev%2020022026%20EN%20reviewed_redline.pdf.

CNIPA. Intellectual Property News, March 20, 2026. Available at: https://www.cnipa.gov.cn/art/2026/3/20/art_55_205414.html.

CNIPA. Guidelines for Invention Patent Applications Involving Standards, March 14, 2026. Available at: https://www.cnipa.gov.cn/art/2026/3/14/art_66_205332.html; https://www.cnipa.gov.cn/module/download/downfile.jsp?classid=0&filename=b51160434dd14383ae8d51624207ea5b.pdf.

CNIPA, MIIT and SAMR. Work Guidelines on Patent Pool Establishment and Operation, May 2025. Available at: https://www.cnipa.gov.cn/art/2025/5/13/art_549_199661.html; https://www.cnipa.gov.cn/art/2025/6/19/art_75_200463.html.

CMA. Draft guidance on the application of the Chapter I prohibition in the Competition Act 1998 to technology transfer agreements: Consultation document, April 2026. Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69f228ad2fae53a037096894/Draft_guidance_on_the_application_of_the_Chapter_I_prohibition_in_the_Competition_Act_1998_to_technology_transfer_agreements.pdf.

European Commission. Commission Publishes Study on the Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in the EU, January 27, 2026. Available at: https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/news/commission-publishes-study-enforcement-intellectual-property-rights-eu-2026-01-27_en.

European Commission. Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on standard essential patents and amending Regulation (EU) 2017/1001, COM(2023) 232 final, April 27, 2023. Available at: https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/publications/com2023232-proposal-regulation-standard-essential-patents_en.

European Commission. Press corner item on Automotive Licensing Negotiation Group, July 2025. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/es/ip_25_1768.

European Commission. Withdrawal of Commission proposals, OJ C, C/2025/5423, October 6, 2025. Available at: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/5423/oj/eng.

European Commission. Commission Regulation (EU) 2026/877 of 16 April 2026 on the application of Article 101(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union to categories of technology transfer agreements, OJ L 2026/877, 21.4.2026, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L_202600877.

European Commission. Communication from the Commission, Guidelines on the application of Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union to technology transfer agreements, OJ C/2026/2323, 21.4.2026, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:C_202602323.

European Parliament v European Commission. Action brought on November 14, 2025, Case C-727/25, OJ C, C/2026/89, January 5, 2026.

European Parliament, Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI). Workshop: Evaluation of the Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement Directive, June 3, 2026. Available at: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/cmsdata/307302/2026.06.03_Item%2021_JURI%20workshop%20Evaluation%20of%20the%20IPRED.pdf.

European Commission. Explanatory Note on the Revised Technology Transfer Block Exemption Regulation and Technology Transfer Guidelines (Apr. 16, 2026), https://competition-policy.ec.europa.eu/document/download/07c21a9b-eafc-4807-abb8-823b3e22ea18_en?filename=20260416_TTBER_explanatory-note.pdf.

EPO. EPO Observatory on Patents and Technology. Available at: https://www.epo.org/en/about-us/observatory-patents-and-technology.

EPO. Methodologies for FRAND Determination: Evidence from Global Case Law, 2026.

European Patent Office. Patent Standards Explorer. Available at: https://www.epo.org/en/about-us/observatory-patents-and-technology/policy-and-funding/patents-and-standards/patent-standards-explorer.

EPO. Patents and standards. Available at: https://www.epo.org/en/about-us/observatory-patents-and-technology/policy-and-funding/patents-and-standards.

EPO. Standards and the European patent system, May 2025. Available at: https://link.epo.org/web/publications/studies/en-epo-study-standards-and-the-european-patent-system.pdf

EUI and WIPO. Workshop - Worlds apart in standard essential patents: National rules for global standards? Available at: https://www.eui.eu/events?id=571387.

JPO. Manual of the “Hantei” (Advisory Opinion) Essentiality Check, revised June 2019. Available at: https://www.jpo.go.jp/e/support/general/sep_portal/document/index/manual-of-hantei.pdf.

JPO. Standard Essential Patents Portal Site. Available at: https://www.jpo.go.jp/e/support/general/sep_portal/index.html.

METI. Difference between METI’s Guidelines and the JPO’s Guide. Available at: https://www.meti.go.jp/policy/economy/chizai/sep_license/diff-METIguidelines-JPOguide-en.pdf.

METI. Good Faith Negotiation Guidelines for Standard Essential Patent Licenses. Available at: https://www.meti.go.jp/english/policy/economy/chizai/gfn_guidelines.html.

SAMR. Anti-Monopoly Guidelines for Standard Essential Patents, November 2024. Available at: www.gov.cn/news/202411/09/content_WS672ef275c6d0868f4e8ecc4d.html.

SAMR. Notice from the Office of the State Council Anti-Monopoly and Anti-Unfair Competition Commission and the State Administration for Market Regulation on Establishing the Anti-Monopoly “Three Letters and One Notice” System, 2023. Available at: https://www.samr.gov.cn/zw/zfxxgk/fdzdgknr/jzzcxds/art/2023/art_515052484fd94fb1a2d8a648615b4c1c.html.

SAMR. SAMR Issues Reminder and Urging Letter to Avanci Concerning Monopoly Risks in Patent Pool Licensing, June 27, 2024. Available at: https://scjgj.cq.gov.cn/zwxx_225/bmdt/zj/202406/t20240627_13329713.html.

Tokyo District Court. Guidelines for Patent Infringement Lawsuits Involving Standard Essential Patents. Available at: https://www.courts.go.jp/tokyo/saiban/minzi_section29_40_46_47/SEP_tokkyoken_shingai/index_2.html.

Tokyo District Court. Guidelines for Standard Essential Patents Judicial Mediation (SEPJM). Available at: https://www.courts.go.jp/tokyo/saiban/minzi_section29_40_46_47/SEPJM_chizai_jiken_teiki/index_2_1.html.

UKIPO. SEPs Resource Hub. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/seps-resource-hub#full-publication-update-history.

UKIPO. Consultation on Standard Essential Patents, July 2025. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-standard-essential-patents-seps.

USPTO. Standards Participation and Representation Kudos (SPARK) Pilot Program, 91 Fed. Reg. 33155, 33156-60, June 3, 2026. Available at: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/06/03/2026-11098/standards-participation-and-representation-kudos-spark-pilot-program; https://www.uspto.gov/patents/initiatives/standards-participation-and-representation-kudos-pilot-program.

USPTO. USPTO announces SEP Working Group, December 2025. Available at: https://www.uspto.gov/subscription-center/2025/uspto-announces-sep-working-group.

US DOJ and USPTO. Policy Statement on Remedies for Standards-Essential Patents Subject to Voluntary F/RAND Commitments, January 8, 2013. Available at: https://www.justice.gov/atr/page/file/1118381/dl?inline.

US DOJ. Dina Kallay, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice. Virtual Remarks at the 2025 Chatham House Global Competition Conference, November 20, 2025. Available at: https://www.justice.gov/opa/speech/deputy-assistant-attorney-general-dina-kallay-delivers-virtual-remarks-2025-chatham.

USPTO, NIST and DOJ. Withdrawal of 2019 Policy Statement on Remedies for Standards-Essential Patents Subject to Voluntary F/RAND Commitments, June 2022. Available at: https://www.uspto.gov/sites/default/files/documents/SEP2019-Withdrawal.pdf.

WIPO. How to search SEPs in PATENTSCOPE - cheat sheet. Available at: https://www.wipo.int/documents/d/patentscope/docs-en-how-to-seps-in-patentscope.pdf.

WIPO. Technical and Practical Aspects Related to Patent Quality in the Context of Standard Essential Patents, 2018. https://www.wipo.int/edocs/mdocs/scp/en/wipo_is_ip_ge_18/wipo_is_ip_ge_18_study.pdf

WIPO. Pentheroudakis, Chryssoula: SEP-related Legislative and Policy Measures Adopted by Member States, including Notable Case Law. Available at: https://www.wipo.int/en/web/patents/sep-related-legislative-and-policy-measures-adopted-by-member-states-including-notable-case-law.

WIPO. Standard Essential Patents. Available at: https://www.wipo.int/en/web/patents/topics/sep.

WIPO. Symposium on Standard Essential Patents: Summary Report. Available at: https://www.wipo.int/edocs/mdocs/scp/en/wipo_sep_ge_25/wipo_sep_ge_25_2.pdf.

WIPO. SEP-related Legislative and Policy Measures Adopted by Member States, including Notable Case Law and related SCP working documents. Available at: https://www.wipo.int/en/web/patents/sep-related-legislative-and-policy-measures-adopted-by-member-states-including-notable-case-law.

WIPO. Standards and Patents, SCP/13/2. Available at:https://www.wipo.int/edocs/mdocs/scp/en/scp_13/scp_13_2.pdf

WIPO. WIPO Mediation Pledge by SEP holders to IoT SMEs. Available at: https://www.wipo.int/amc/en/center/specific-sectors/ict/frand/wipo_mediation_pledge_sep_to_smes.html.

WIPO AMC. WIPO ADR for SEP/FRAND Disputes. Available at: https://www.wipo.int/amc/en/center/specific-sectors/ict/frand/

WIPO. WIPO SEP Case Law Collection. Available at: https://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/collections/profile/sep_caselaw.

WIPO. World Intellectual Property Report 2026: Technology on the Move. Available at: https://www.wipo.int/web-publications/world-intellectual-property-report-2026/en/index.html.

WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center. FRAND and Standard Essential Patents. Available at: https://www.wipo.int/amc/en/center/specific-sectors/ict/frand/.

WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center. WIPO Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Options for Intellectual Property and Technology Cases pending before National Courts. Available at: https://www.wipo.int/amc/en/center/specific-sectors/ipoffices/national-courts/.

WIPO. FRAND Economics: Valuation Methods in Licensing Standard Essential Patents. Geneva: WIPO, 2026. DOI: 10.34667/tind.59534. Available at: https://www.wipo.int/web-publications/frand-economics-valuation-methods-in-licensing-standard-essential-patents/en/index.html.

Wollgast, Heike and Ella Callanan. WIPO ADR Procedures To Resolve FRAND And SEP Disputes, lese Nouvelles, March 2025. Available at: https://lesi.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/LN_Legal_1_LN-SEP002-Wollgast-Callahan-p.47-52.pdf.

World Bank. World Development Report 2025: Standards for Development, 2025.

WTO. China - Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights, DS611. Available at: https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dispu_e/cases_e/ds611_e.htm.

WTO. China - Worldwide Licensing Terms for Standard Essential Patents, DS632. Available at: https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dispu_e/cases_e/ds632_e.htm.

Downloads

Published

2026-07-06

Issue

Section

SEP - FRAND

How to Cite

BELBL, Nina. International Developments relating to SEPs: An overview. Revista Brasileira de Direito, Passo Fundo, RS, Brasil, v. 22, 2026. DOI: 10.18256/2238-0604.2026.v22i.5371. Disponível em: https://seer.atitus.edu.br/index.php/revistadedireito/article/view/5371. Acesso em: 7 jul. 2026.