Competition Law | Articles
New Footprints in the Framework of SEPs and FRAND Terms
The intersection between intellectual property and competition law is always on the agenda of lawmakers. Since there is an imbalance between the exclusivity rights ensured by intellectual property law and anti-competitive practices that the competition law protects, the notion of standard-essential patents (SEP) and a commitment to license these patents on a fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) basis are accepted to preserve the competitive landscape with regard to licensing issues. However, licensors and licensees still have discrepancies on the FRAND terms, and this keeps authorities and courts busy with handling each party’s requests. While it is nearly impossible to satisfy both parties’ demands, recently, we observed that there are footprints of significant regulatory initiatives that would likely shape the nexus between intellectual property and competition law. Indeed, the most influential jurisdictions, the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) have launched fresh inquiries concerning the framework of SEP and FRAND. Below we discuss these developments and then elaborate on the Turkish stance related to the matter.
