Welcome to the latest edition of the Sisvel Insights weekly round-up, aggregating news stories, analyses and data points affecting the SEP world that have caught our eye over the past seven days.

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Qualcomm and Apple have renewed their global patent licensing agreement with little fanfare – just a two-sentence press release which quoted Qualcomm boss John Han as saying: “We are pleased to extend the Apple license agreement.”

It was a low-key announcement, but the Qualcomm-Apple engagement is one of the highest-stakes relationships in SEP licensing. The pair agreed a six-year licence in April 2019 following a litigation battle and Apple exercised an option to extend that pact by two years to 2027. Coming more than six months in advance of the start date, the renewal appears to have been relatively smooth.

This is how most SEP deals – announced and unannounced – get done: at the negotiating table, out of the public eye. But that does not mean there is no role for litigation in the licensing process. Two heavyweights put their best cases before the courts nine years ago; the settlement that they worked out has now seen two amicable extensions, which have paved the way for (likely) well over a decade of licensed technology use.

There was also news that US Deputy Assistant Attorney General Dina Kallay has left the DoJ Antitrust Division. Kallay – who was responsible for international, policy and appellate matters – had been one of the US government’s most active and outspoken officials on SEP-related matters. During her 18-month tenure, the DoJ opened a probe into the European auto LNG and threw its weight behind patent holders seeking injunctions. Antitrust Division chief Gail Slater departed in February amid reported tensions with senior administration officials; all of the deputy assistant attorneys general whom she appointed have now gone too.

Elsewhere, it was reported that the smart meter licensing programme operated by Avanci has ceased operations; and we shared takeaways from the closed-door industry discussions held during Sisvel Connect in Barcelona.

Please note that the inclusion of a piece in the list below does not signify agreement with what is stated in the linked article – just that we believe it is of interest and worth flagging.

Market

Qualcomm and Apple have renewed their global patent licensing deal, with the new agreement set to take effect on 1 April next year. Read more (Qualcomm press release)

The Avanci Smart Meter licensing programme is no longer in operation, the company has confirmed. Read more (IAM) 🔒. See also ip fray

MPNX became the latest patent owner to join the Sisvel POS patent pool. Read more (Sisvel LinkedIn)

Legal

A consumer rights group in France has demanded that Disney+ compensate customers for its shut-off of 4K streaming service in the country due to a UPC injunction. Read more (ip fray)

Courts in Chongqing and London used different inputs and methods at almost every stage in reaching their ZTE-Samsung FRAND decisions, accounting for the 86% gap between the rulings. Read more (IAM)

Policy & Opinion

US Deputy Assistant Attorney General Dina Kallay has stepped down from her position with the DoJ Antitrust Division. Read more (IAM)🔒

Congressman Darrell Issa, who leaves office in January, has called for presidential action to counter foreign SEP injunctions or rate-setting decisions that are global in scope. Read more (MLex) 🔒

Strategy & Analysis

Sisvel Connect 2026 brought together 250-plus SEP market leaders to discuss technology trends, policy developments and what's ahead for the licensing market. Read more (Sisvel Insights)

For the first time, Dusseldorf has surpassed Munich as the UPC Local Division with the busiest docket. Read more (JUVE)