LONDON, July 27 (Reuters) – Elon Musk’s Tesla has succeeded in reviving a London lawsuit against U.S. tech company InterDigital and a patent‑licensing platform, as the automaker seeks a patent licence ahead of its upcoming 5G vehicle rollout in the United Kingdom.
Tesla filed the suit in London’s High Court in 2023, naming InterDigital and Avanci, a platform that aggregates patents primarily for automotive applications.
The company asked the court to establish the fair, reasonable and non‑discriminatory (FRAND) terms of a licence for Tesla to use patents held by owners such as InterDigital and administered through Avanci.
InterDigital and Avanci petitioned the court to dismiss Tesla’s request for a FRAND ruling, and the High Court sided with them in 2024. However, Tesla’s effort to invalidate three of InterDigital’s patents was permitted to proceed.
Tesla’s appeal was rejected at the Court of Appeal, prompting the automaker to pursue the matter to the United Kingdom’s Supreme Court. The case received support from interveners such as the tech lobbying group CCIA and the Motion Picture Association.
The Supreme Court ruled in Tesla’s favour, holding that patent owners remain bound to offer licences on FRAND terms even when they participate in a patent pool or platform.
The litigation is now set to resume in the High Court.
“Laurie Fitzgerald, president of Avanci Vehicle, said in a statement: “We respectfully disagree with today’s decision and continue to believe Tesla’s claims are without merit.”
Tesla and InterDigital declined to comment immediately.
(Reporting by Sam Tobin; editing by Sarah Young)
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