Huawei and HP sign multi-year Wi-Fi patent cross-licensing deal
Synopsis
Huawei and HP have buried a Wi-Fi 6 patent lawsuit with a multi-year cross-licensing deal, confirming Huawei's IP monetisation machine is extracting royalties from top-tier US hardware makers even amid China-US tech tensions.
Key Takeaways
Huawei and HP signed a multi-year global patent cross-licensing agreement on 26 August 2026 .
The deal grants HP the right to use certain Huawei Wi-Fi patents on its PCs for a fee.
Huawei had filed a lawsuit against HP in 2025 over Wi-Fi 6 patents.
The initial dispute was partially resolved in November 2025 when HP joined the Sisvel ( Italy ) patent pool covering some contested patents.
Alan Fan , Huawei 's Chief Intellectual Property Officer , called the agreement 'a strong testament to Huawei's persistent independent innovation.' The cross-licensing structure is reciprocal, with both companies gaining access to each other's relevant patent portfolios.
Huawei Technologies and HP have signed a multi-year global patent cross-licensing agreement, the two companies announced on Wednesday, 26 August 2026, resolving a dispute that had escalated to litigation. The deal grants HP the right to use certain Huawei Wi-Fi patents on its PC lineup in exchange for a licensing fee, marking a significant step in the normalisation of intellectual property relations between the Chinese tech giant and a major US hardware maker.
What the agreement covers
The cross-licensing pact gives HP access to a defined set of Huawei Wi-Fi patents applicable to its personal computers, with HP paying a fee for that access. In return, Huawei gains licensing rights to relevant HP patents, making the arrangement reciprocal. The companies described the deal as an expansion of their existing cooperation on patent licensing.
Background: From lawsuit to settlement
Huawei filed a lawsuit against HP in 2025 over Wi-Fi 6 patents. The initial phase of the dispute was resolved in November of that year after HP became a licensee of the patent pool managed by Sisvel, an Italian intellectual property management firm, which gave HP access to some of the contested patents. The new cross-licensing agreement goes further, directly linking the two companies' patent portfolios.
Why it matters
Huawei has aggressively monetised its intellectual property portfolio in recent years, particularly in standardised wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi and 5G, as a revenue stream that operates independently of its hardware sales. Alan Fan, Huawei's Chief Intellectual Property Officer, said in a statement: 'This agreement is a strong testament to Huawei's persistent independent innovation in cutting-edge fields in information and communications technology.' He added: 'Through patent licensing, Huawei shares its innovation with the industry, particularly in the area of standardised technologies.'
The competitive backdrop
Huawei's IP licensing push places it alongside other major patent holders — including Nokia, Samsung, and Qualcomm — that generate substantial royalty income from standardised wireless technologies. For PC makers like HP, licensing fees for Wi-Fi standards are an unavoidable cost of doing business as connectivity becomes central to every device category. The deal also signals that despite ongoing geopolitical friction between China and the US, commercial IP arrangements between companies from both countries continue to be negotiated and concluded.
What's next
The multi-year structure of the agreement suggests both parties expect a sustained licensing relationship, with the terms likely covering successive generations of Wi-Fi standards. Analysts will watch whether Huawei pursues similar cross-licensing arrangements with other major US or European PC and consumer electronics brands. The outcome of this deal could serve as a template for resolving other pending Huawei IP disputes globally.
Point of View
Huawei is quietly building a royalty stream from the very companies its hardware competes against. The HP settlement follows a now-familiar playbook — litigation, third-party pool entry via intermediaries like Sisvel, then a direct bilateral deal — that mirrors how Nokia rebuilt its business into a patent licensor. What mainstream coverage often misses is that standardised technologies like Wi-Fi 6 create near-inescapable licensing obligations for every PC maker, giving Huawei leverage that is structurally insulated from geopolitics. Watch for similar deals with other major US and European OEMs as Huawei continues to convert its R&D investment into recurring licensing revenue.
NationPress
26 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Huawei and HP agree to in their 2026 patent deal?
Huawei and HP signed a multi-year global patent cross-licensing agreement on 26 August 2026 , under which HP pays a fee to use certain Huawei Wi-Fi patents on its PCs, while both companies gain reciprocal access to each other's relevant patents.
Why did Huawei sue HP over Wi-Fi patents?
Huawei filed a lawsuit against HP in 2025 alleging infringement of its Wi-Fi 6 patents. The initial phase of the dispute was resolved in November 2025 when HP joined the Sisvel patent pool, gaining access to some of the contested patents before the two companies reached a broader direct agreement.
What is Sisvel and what role did it play in the Huawei-HP dispute?
Sisvel is an Italian intellectual property management firm that operates patent pools for standardised wireless technologies. HP became a licensee of Sisvel 's pool in November 2025 , which covered some of the Huawei Wi-Fi patents at issue, acting as a stepping stone toward the full bilateral cross-licensing deal announced in 2026 .
How does this deal affect HP PC users?
The agreement resolves the legal uncertainty around Wi-Fi patent rights for HP 's PC portfolio, ensuring uninterrupted access to Wi-Fi technology in its products. End users are unlikely to see a direct impact, though licensing fees are a cost factor that manufacturers typically absorb into product pricing.
Is Huawei signing similar patent deals with other companies?
Huawei has been actively expanding its IP licensing programme, particularly in standardised wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi and 5G . The HP deal is part of a broader strategy that analysts expect will extend to other major US and European PC and consumer electronics manufacturers in the coming years.
