Tesla’s UK lawsuit for 5G patents licence thrown out by court

US TECHNOLOGY company InterDigital and a patent licensing platform on Monday (Jul 15) won their bid to throw out a London lawsuit by Tesla.

The automaker, founded by Elon Musk, was seeking a patent licence ahead of its launch of 5G vehicles in Britain.

It sued InterDigital and Avanci – which licenses patents from multiple owners, largely for automotive uses – at London’s High Court in 2023.

Tesla wanted the court to determine the fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (Frand) terms of a licence for Tesla to use patents owned by patent holders, including InterDigital and which are licensed by Avanci.

The company’s lawyers said in court filings for a hearing in May that it “plans imminently to launch 5G vehicles in the UK”.

However, InterDigital and Avanci asked the court to throw out Tesla’s bid for a ruling on Frand terms for a licence.

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The High Court ruled in their favour on Monday, with Judge Timothy Fancourt saying in a written ruling that Tesla’s bid for a licence must be thrown out, but its claim to revoke three of InterDigital’s patents can continue. REUTERS