Hosted by IP Frontier Media, the 3rd IP Frontier Information and Communication Forum (IFIF 2025) was grandly held in Shenzhen from March 5 to 7, 2025, with the theme of SEP Licensing: New Global Landscape, Developments and Regulatory Rules.
The forum serves as a high-value exchange platform for experts, scholars, IP managers, licensing practitioners and all stakeholders engaged in Standard Essential Patents (SEPs) within the ICT industry. It conducts in-depth discussions on the latest practices, policy updates and future development trends of SEP governance, focusing on core topics including patent portfolio planning, licensing strategies and opportunities in the ICT sector, market competition patterns, domestic and overseas SEP governance frameworks, as well as practical SEP licensing strategies for enterprises. The event helps participants keep abreast of cutting-edge industry dynamics, grasp the adjudication trends and policy orientations of SEP-related cases across major global jurisdictions, assist enterprises in the communication and IoT sectors in effectively mitigating legal risks, and strengthen their competitive edges in the global marketplace.
On the afternoon of March 6, Liu Shen Partner ZHANG Xiang joined the roundtable discussion themed SEP Licensing and Future Prospects of China’s Automotive Industry. Together with Professor NING Lizhi from Wuhan University, SONG Jian, former Presiding Judge of the IP Division of Jiangsu High People’s Court, and JIAN Quan, Vice President of Avanci China, he exchanged views on challenges and solutions concerning SEP licensing in China’s automotive industry from the perspectives of licensing royalty rates, licensing tiers and good-faith negotiations. Mr. Zhang pointed out that disputes over licensing tiers and region-based pricing remain prominent in communication standard licensing for the automotive sector. Although patent holders and implementers hold vastly different standpoints, both sides have reasonable grounds, which constitutes one major obstacle hindering the conclusion of licensing deals. Against the backdrop that overseas automakers have widely secured licenses via the Avanci patent pool while Chinese automakers are accelerating global expansion, the industry is faced with more commercial choices rather than mere legal divergences. Chinese automotive enterprises may flexibly adopt either bilateral licensing or patent pool licensing solutions in light of their respective development stages to cut costs, remove IP barriers and enhance global competitiveness.
On the morning of March 7, Liu Shen Partner CHEN Jinlin delivered a keynote speech entitled Emerging SEP Licensing Markets: Development Trends in Smart Meters and POS Terminals. He mainly analyzed the evolving landscape of SEP licensing in the IoT sector represented by smart meters, POS terminals and other typical application scenarios. He systematically sorted out national policy orientations for the construction of IoT standard systems and elaborated on the current status and development trends of IoT communication technologies. From a technical perspective, he further explored the practical models and latest developments of cellular and non-cellular communication technologies in SEP licensing and litigation practices, covering legal and commercial issues such as licensing tier design, royalty determination and anti-suit injunctions.
During the forum dinner on March 6, IP Frontier launched an initiative to foster a sound ecosystem for benign SEP licensing, alongside the presentation of the SEP Industry Benchmark Awards.
The initiative is committed to achieving the following goals:
• Raise public awareness of the significance of building a sound SEP licensing ecosystem;
• Promote in-depth communication and collaboration among governments, enterprises, academic institutions and industrial players in the field of SEP licensing;
• Establish a fair and rational market environment for all SEP licensing participants to spur technological innovation and industrialization of research achievements;
• Gradually improve the benign SEP licensing ecosystem and advance the sustained and sound development of the digital economy.
JIN Kesheng, former Deputy Presiding Judge of the IP Tribunal of the Supreme People’s Court, presented the Excellent Award for SEP Licensing Practice to Liu Shen & Associates, in full recognition of the firm’s outstanding contributions to SEP licensing-related legal services.
Award Citation:
With over three decades of profound expertise rooted in the intellectual property industry, Liu Shen & Associates has established a full-cycle legal service system covering the entire lifecycle of standard essential patents. The firm boasts extensive practical experience in SEP-related services including patent portfolio strategy consultation, patent prosecution and validation, FTO analysis, licensing negotiation and transactions, as well as cross-border dispute resolution. Its proven and effective professional methodologies have been incorporated into the standard operational procedures of multiple Fortune Global 500 enterprises, fully demonstrating Liu Shen’s outstanding technical insights and remarkable value in empowering commercial development as a top-tier Chinese IP law firm.
