Microsoft has become a licensee of the Sisvel Wi-Fi Multimode pool, securing access to standard essential patents for Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7 technologies. The agreement marks the latest addition to a programme that includes major licensors such as Huawei, Panasonic, Philips, and ZTE. By joining the pool, Microsoft aligns with ASUS, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and Sony Group Corporation, which are also licensees.

The Sisvel Wi-Fi Multimode pool was publicly launched in January 2026 as the successor to the Sisvel Wi-Fi 6 patent pool. It provides a mechanism to access essential Wi-Fi rights. Over a three-year period under the previous programme, agreements were closed with 40 companies, including Acer, Netgear, Cisco, and HP.

Alex Debski, Director of Licensing and Counsel Legal and Business at Sisvel, welcomed the development. "It is a pleasure to welcome Microsoft as a licensee of the Sisvel Wi-Fi Multimode pool," Debski said. "Although it was sometimes a challenging discussion, it was always a friendly and constructive one. We are grateful to the Microsoft team for the positive approach they took."

Sisvel Chief IP Officer Heath Hoglund highlighted the significance of the agreement. "To have Microsoft join on an amicable basis is a further clear validation of the Wi-Fi Multimode pool’s offer and rate," Hoglund stated. "I congratulate everyone involved for their professionalism and skill. The programme is now building considerable momentum and I look forward to welcoming further licensees in the near future."

The pool includes licensors such as KPN, Mitsubishi Electric, Orange, Aegis 11 (a Sisvel affiliate), SK Telecom, and Wilus. Sisvel operates with a focus on creating commercialisation solutions to bridge the needs of patent owners and technology implementers.

Key Pool Participants

Nearly 400 newspaper publishers have filed a lawsuit against Microsoft and OpenAI, alleging the companies unlawfully copied and used their copyrighted articles to train the large language models behind their AI products without permission or compensation. The legal action, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, claims the practice violates federal copyright law. The publishers argue that their journalism is protected by copyright and that utilizing it to train AI models necessitates authorization and payment.

Microsoft and OpenAI are partners in the development and deployment of AI systems designed to generate text-based responses. The plaintiffs are requesting a court ruling that the alleged unauthorized use constitutes copyright infringement. Additionally, they are seeking an injunction to prevent further use of their content by the technology firms.

This lawsuit contributes to a growing series of legal challenges initiated by publishers, authors, and various content creators. As courts deliberate on the application of copyright law to AI models trained on publicly available and copyrighted material, the outcome of this case could set a significant precedent.

Other technology companies are facing similar scrutiny regarding their AI training practices. In March, Grammarly encountered a lawsuit concerning its alleged use of an Expert Review AI tool. Julia Angwin, a contributing opinion editor at The New York Times, alleged that the tool utilized her name and the names of others without prior consent.

Furthermore, Anthropic, the AI entity responsible for the Claude chatbot, is currently facing legal action from music rights management company BMG. BMG asserts that Anthropic used lyrics from major artists to train its chatbot without securing the necessary authorization.