# Essential patent

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An **essential patent** or **standard-essential patent** (**SEP**) is a [patent](/source/Patent) that [claims](/source/Claim_(patent)) an invention that must be used to comply with a [technical standard](/source/Technical_standard).[1] [Standard-setting organizations](/source/Standard-setting_organization) (SSOs) normally require their members to agree to license their essential patents on [fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory](/source/Reasonable_and_non-discriminatory_licensing) terms.[2] Determining which patents are essential to a particular standard can be complex.[3]

## See also

- [Patent ambush](/source/Patent_ambush), a situation in which patents are withheld during development of a proposed standard
- [Patent infringement](/source/Patent_infringement), the commission of a prohibited act with respect to a patented invention
- [Patent thicket](/source/Patent_thicket), a negatively connoted term for an overlapping set of patent rights
- *[Orange-Book-Standard](/source/Orange-Book-Standard)*, a German decision on the interaction between patent law and technical standards
- [Standardization](/source/Standardization), the process of creating technical standards

## References

1. Shapiro, Carl (January 2000). ["Navigating the Patent Thicket: Cross Licenses, Patent Pools, and Standard Setting"](https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdf/10.1086/ipe.1.25056143). *Innovation Policy and the Economy*. **1**: 119–150. [doi:10.1086/ipe.1.25056143](https://doi.org/10.1086/ipe.1.25056143). [ISSN 1531-3468](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1531-3468). [S2CID 17290328](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:17290328)

1. Sidak, J. G. (1 December 2013). "The Meaning of FRAND, Part I: Royalties". *Journal of Competition Law and Economics*. **9** (4): 931–1055. [doi:10.1093/joclec/nht040](https://doi.org/10.1093/joclec/nht040)

1. Elizabeth Woyke (2011-09-21). ["Identifying The Tech Leaders In LTE Wireless Patents"](https://www.forbes.com/sites/elizabethwoyke/2011/09/21/identifying-the-tech-leaders-in-lte-wireless-patents/). *Forbes*. Retrieved March 10, 2012.

## Further reading and viewing

- "[Potential Antitrust Liability Based on a Patent Owner's Manipulation of Industry Standard Setting](http://www.abanet.org/antitrust/at-committees/at-exemc/pdf/liability.pdf)", *Proceedings of ABA Antitrust Section Spring Meeting* (2003) by Janice M. Mueller.
- "[Patent Misuse Through the Capture of Industry Standards](https://web.archive.org/web/20050517131019/http://www.law.berkeley.edu/journals/btlj/articles/vol17/mueller.pdf)", 17 *Berkeley Tech. L.J.* 623 (2002) by Janice M. Mueller.
- Mossoff, Adam; Contreras, Jorge; Kulbaski, James J. (November 30, 2012). [*Standards-Essential Patents: Where Do IP Protections End and Antitrust Concerns Begin?*](https://web.archive.org/web/20160303221809/http://iiscast.wlf.org/vod/sctr01_20121129093925/1/start.html?media=Media1a.asx) (video) (ASX). Washington Legal Foundation. Archived from [the original](http://iiscast.wlf.org/vod/sctr01_20121129093925/1/start.html?media=Media1a.asx) on March 3, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2012.
- Vidal, Kathi (10 April 2022). ["Standard essential patent policy and practices: We want to hear from you!"](https://www.uspto.gov/subscription-center/2022/standard-essential-patent-policy-and-practices-we-want-hear-you). *www.uspto.gov*. Retrieved 30 September 2023.

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