Video innovation behind today’s TVs and PCs: Why fair licensing matters
Over the past year, several TV and PC makers have agreed licenses with Nokia covering the use of our technologies in their video-enabled devices. Recent developments with leading companies in the sector underscore the value of Nokia’s video and multimedia technologies and the importance of a balanced innovation ecosystem. We encourage remaining unlicensed companies in the TV and PC markets using Nokia’s patented video technologies to follow this constructive path and agree licenses on fair terms.
Recent momentum shows growing market recognition
Agreements with leading TV makers Samsung (announced in January 2025) and Hisense (announced at the beginning of this year), together with several recent deals with Chinese TV makers, demonstrate the continued recognition of Nokia’s video portfolio in the TV market. At the same time, Acer and ASUS agreeing to enter into binding arbitration this summer shows that Nokia’s patented video technologies are also highly relevant to PCs and the broader consumer electronics industry. Together, these developments underline the constructive path available to businesses that implement Nokia’s technologies in their products.
Video innovation consumers rely on every day
People expect video to work instantly, smoothly and at high quality on every device, whether they are watching a live sports event on a smart TV, joining a video call on a laptop, streaming a film in high definition or finding a new series to watch.
With PCs now central to entertainment, hybrid work, video collaboration and content creation, high-quality and efficient video technologies have become non-negotiable to the user experience.
Nokia’s video and multimedia technologies help enable these everyday experiences across consumer electronics and streaming services, from TVs and PCs to set-top boxes, cameras and other video-enabled devices and services. For example, Nokia’s inventions support high-quality streaming on connected devices, live streaming adapted to different display capabilities, easier access to specific points in a video or resumed playback, and smarter content recommendations so viewers can spend less time searching and more time watching.
Built on decades of research and standardization
Today’s rich media experiences are made possible by decades of research, collaboration and standardization. Nokia has played a pivotal role in this progress. For three decades, our engineers have contributed to the development of market-adopted video coding standards, including H.264/AVC, H.265/HEVC and H.266/VVC. These technologies help compress video so that large files can be streamed, shared and stored efficiently, while retaining the picture quality viewers expect. Over the years, the work of our video inventors and their standardization partners has been recognized with six Technology and Engineering Emmy® Awards.
Why fair licensing matters
Patent licensing is how companies that invest in foundational innovation receive a fair return when their technologies are used by others. Since 2000, Nokia has invested around €160 billion – and more than €4 billion annually – in research and development. Nokia contributes its technologies to open standards, enabling entire industries to build interoperable products and services.
When companies implement standardized technologies in their products, licensing ensures that innovation is recognized fairly and that the companies investing in the next generation of technologies can continue to do so. That is why businesses using Nokia’s patented technologies are expected to take licenses on fair terms.
A constructive path forward
Our preference is always to reach agreements through constructive collaboration. The success of Nokia’s patent licensing programs shows that this approach works. We currently have over 250 licensees across our patent licensing programs, and the vast majority of these agreements have been concluded amicably without litigation.
Recent progress across our consumer electronics licensing program, including agreements with Chinese TV makers, is an important sign of market recognition for Nokia’s video portfolio and helps support a level playing field for companies using Nokia’s technologies.
Remaining unlicensed companies in the TV and PC markets that use Nokia’s patented video technologies should follow this constructive path and agree licenses on fair terms. By doing so, companies can continue to benefit from Nokia’s innovation while contributing to the cycle of research, standardization and product development that makes today’s rich video experiences possible.
Continuing the cycle of innovation
As video continues to evolve, fair licensing ensures that innovation can continue, and that the companies building on that innovation can do so with clarity and confidence.
