Summary
- The Delhi High Court has set aside a 2018 decree requiring two DVD player manufacturers to pay royalties to Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV for alleged infringement of a Standard Essential Patent (SEP).
- Justices C. Hari Shankar and Om Prakash Shukla emphasized the need for strict evidentiary standards in SEP claims, ruling that Philips failed to prove essentiality and proper mapping of its patent to the standard.
- The court clarified that exhaustion of rights applies when patented components are sourced from legally authorized vendors, regardless of whether they are licensed by the patentee.
- This landmark judgment reshapes the evidentiary landscape for SEP cases in India, compelling patent holders to substantiate their claims rigorously before litigation.
Join the discussion — sign up to comment, upvote, and save articles.