최근 EDN 뉴스에 의하면 삼성전자가 미국의 인터디지털사와의 특허분쟁에서 패소하여 그동안 삼성전자의 주력 수출품인 유럽형 이동전화(GSM)에 대한 로열티로 1억달러를 배상하기로 합의 하였다고 한다. 미국형 이동전화(CDMA)의 미국 퀄컴사에 대한 로얄티 지급과 함께 유럽형 이동전화에 대한 로얄티 지급은 다시 한번 원천기술의 확보가 얼마나 중요한가를 상기시켜 준다.

LCD, 반도체 칩, 휴대전화 등 우리나라의 주력 수출품인 디지털 제품의 시장지배는 개발된 원천기술의 표준화를 통한 시장확산과 관련 지적재산의 특허화를 통한 시장방어가 관건이다. 이번 사건은 과거 일본의 소니사가 비디오테이프 시장에서 기술적으로 우월한 베타멕스를 개발하고도 표준화-특허 연계전략의 부재로 VHS에게 시장을 내주고 세상에서 사라졌던 사례를 다시 떠올리게 한다.

우리나라는 참여정부 시작부터 국민소득 3만불 시대를 열어 우리나라를 세계 10대 선진 경제강국으로 끌어 올리려는 차세대 성장동력 사업을 추진 중이다. 이번 사태를 통하여 차세대 성장동력 사업의 성공은 기술개발 못지 않게 표준화-특허 연계전략 구사에 의한 시장지배적 사업화에 달려 있으며 이러한 성공적 사업화 전략에 대한 총체적 점검이 시급히 필요함을 시사하고 있다.

The arbitration proceeding between InterDigital Communications Corp. and its wholly owned subsidiary, InterDigital Technology Corp. and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. has issued its final award, giving InterDigital approximately $134 million in past royalties plus interest on Samsung's sale of single mode 2G GSM/TDMA and 2.5G GSM/GPRS/EDGE terminal units through 2005.

The tribunal also established the royalty rates to be applied to Samsung's sales of covered products in 2006. Based on available market data, InterDigital estimates that Samsung's royalty obligation for the first half of 2006 will be in the range of $17 million to $21 million.

The decade-old dispute dates back to February 1996, when Samsung entered into agreements with InterDigital which covered both technology development and patent license agreement. As part of the agreements, Samsung paid approximately $35 million up front to InterDigital.

Patent licensing agreements signed in March 2003 between InterDigital and Ericsson and Sony Ericsson established the framework for Nokia's royalty obligations for 2G GSM/TDMA and 2.5G GSM/GPRS/EDGE handset and infrastructure sales. After these patent license agreements were signed, InterDigital notified Samsung of its royalty payment obligations. Samsung disagreed with InterDigital's interpretation of the impact of these patent licensing agreements, and requested binding arbitration in November 2003 to resolve the dispute.

The arbitral tribunal, operating under the auspices of the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce, conducted a hearing in January before rendering its award.

The award requires Samsung to promptly pay amounts due, net of an approximate $6 million prepayment credit. In addition, the company estimates Samsung's interest obligation to be in the range of $11 million to $13 million. As a result of the award, Samsung's royalty obligations under Samsung's patent license agreement with InterDigital for sales of single-mode 2G GSM/TDMA and 2.5G GSM/GPRS/EDGE terminal units made after 2006 will be fully paid-up after Samsung pays royalties for sales of covered products sold through 2006.

And the ruling doesn't end there. Separate from the royalty issues on 2G and 2.5G products, the tribunal also determined that Samsung has not obtained the broader CDMA and 3G patent license rights in the Nokia agreement with InterDigital, notwithstanding Samsung's most favored licensee (MFL) election in 2002 of the Nokia agreement.

"We are pleased with the tribunal's decision," said William J. Merritt, InterDigital's president and CEO, in a statement. "The tribunal's findings in this contractual dispute are consistent with our beliefs as to Samsung's obligations and we have filed an action seeking to enforce the award in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York."

This is just Samsung's latest foray into the courtroom. In the past, Samsung has had legal tangles with Rambus and Mosaid, to name a few.

From www.edn.com

이근호(geunhole@diginews.co.kr)