Samsung Builds Another R&D Center in Silicon Valley; Commit to No Patent Lawsuits in EU

Samsung Electronics started construction of a new R&D center in Mountain View, California on October 16 (local time) to strengthen the content and service sectors. 

This is the second R&D facility in Silicon Valley following the one for semiconductors under construction in San Jose. 

Samsung Research America, an affiliate of Samsung Electronics in the US, said in a press release that the new R&D center in Mountain View, California, will open in December next year, adding that the center will provide the infrastructure necessary to support Samsung’s open innovation efforts. The R&D center will be equipped with two new six-story class-A office buildings and two parking structures. 

Samsung Research America is headquartered in Silicon Valley and engaged in researching and developing new technologies to create new businesses and enhance competitiveness of the parent company. 

In the meantime, the global electronics giant has offered to not lodge patent lawsuits over wireless technology for five years in the European region. 

The European Commission said in a statement on October 16 (local time) that Samsung has offered to abstain from seeking injunctions for mobile standard essential patents SEPs for a period of five years against any company that agrees to a particular licensing framework.

The European Commission has probed on suspicions that Samsung abused its right to SEPs in pushing for lawsuits against its competitors. SEPs cover the fields needed to comply with industry standards and should be licensed under fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms and conditions, known as FRAND.

The commission added that related parties are able to make comments on proposals made by Samsung within one month.

Since late last year, European regulators also have investigated whether Samsung may have violated EU antitrust rules.

It is well-known that Samsung and Apple have been engaged in heated patent disputes in about 30 cases in 10 countries since April 2011, when the latter accused of the former of copying the latter’s smart devices.