On May 1 local time, the London High Court issued a ruling in the global patent licensing dispute between Samsung Electronics and ZTE Corporation, ordering Samsung to make a one-time payment of $392 million to ZTE as licensing fees for the use of its mobile communication patents.

The dispute between the two parties originated from their failure to agree on renewal terms after a patent licensing agreement reached in 2021 expired. Samsung filed a lawsuit in London in December 2024, requesting the court to determine fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory licensing terms. ZTE Corporation simultaneously initiated parallel lawsuits in countries including China, Germany, and Brazil.

In the ruling, presiding judge Richard Meade pointed out that there was a significant gap between the parties' positions on the licensing fee: Samsung argued for a maximum amount of $200 million, while ZTE sought up to $731 million. The court's final adjudicated amount of $392 million falls between the two figures.

The patents involved are standard-essential patents necessary for ensuring smartphones can connect to mobile networks. The UK is a favored jurisdiction for patent litigation because its courts, following a landmark 2020 ruling by the UK Supreme Court, have the authority to set global FRAND terms. Both parties retain the right to appeal the judgment, and ZTE is also separately seeking a ruling on FRAND terms from a court in China.