KIANEWS 
Finnish company HMD Global has launched a new HMD Fuse smartphone aimed specifically at children. According to the company, it is the world's first smartphone that prevents children from filming, broadcasting or viewing nude and sexually explicit content, even while streaming.
Brazilian court rules in Panasonic HMD PI case
29. 04. 2026 Wednesday / By: Robert Denes / Business / Exact time: BST / Print this page
A Brazilian court has granted Panasonic a personal investigator against HMD Global in a dispute over standard-essential patents (SEPs) for advanced audio coding (AAC) technology, confirming the international consensus on FRAND licensing.
Judge Victor Agustin Jaccoud Diz Torres, of Rio de Janeiro’s 6th Commercial Court, ruled that Panasonic had fulfilled its FRAND obligation by directing HMD to the AAC patent pool managed by the Via Licensing Alliance, negating the need for a bilateral licensing offer. Notably, the judgment specifically referred to the IP fray in a footnote, citing details of the Munich LD decision:
The judgment came at a time when HMD had effectively exited the Brazilian market after previous rulings, limiting the immediate commercial impact but raising the stakes in other parts of the parallel disputes. The Brazilian court, drawing on the European precedents of Düsseldorf, Munich and UPC, is clearly in line with existing FRAND principles, while positioning Brazil as an increasingly relevant forum for global SEP litigation.
Unitary Patent System Approaches Third Year, Early Confidence Seems Justified There are interesting signs emerging about the uptake of the Unitary Patent System as it approaches its third year (LinkedIn post link), suggesting that early confidence in its success was not misplaced. Even before its launch, major industry players such as Ericsson saw the system as a practical and effective tool and were committed to its regular use, despite structural shortcomings such as the absence of the UK and other non-participating countries.
Concerns about the risk of central withdrawal have done little to dampen enthusiasm, with supporters stressing the focus on patent quality. As the system matures, the conversation is now turning to whether to extend the transitional period – a debate that is already gaining momentum and is likely to influence the future direction of the system.
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