The IAM Live: Auto IP Europe Conference 2025, held recently in Munich, provided invaluable insights into current trends in the automotive industry and how they are impacting IP strategies. Below are some of the key takeaways our team in attendance took from the discussions.
The continued rise of China on the global automotive stage
China's growing impact and influence on the automotive industry was a common theme throughout the day's sessions. As China continues to demonstrate a level of dominance when it comes to the technical advancement of EV battery manufacturing, Chinese EV battery developers are increasingly looking to strengthen their IP protection around these innovations, although Korean and Japanese innovators also maintain strong battery patent portfolios. It was noted that battery makers are increasingly asserting their IP rights across the globe through patent litigation and, as such, both European battery manufacturers and OEMs need to be cognisant of the potential risk of these claims.
There have also been interesting developments in EV battery swapping technologies (allowing depleted batteries to be swapped out for new ones), which are already being deployed in China. Whether the commercial fundamentals (particularly high capex) of these technologies can be overcome remains to be seen.
Autonomous driving – is Europe ready?
The industry's journey towards Level 4 autonomous driving (AD) continues, although at varying speeds across the globe. It was noted that the Chinese regulatory environment for AD – which promotes testing with relatively open, but quickly evolving, regulations – is enabling innovation and AD advancement to evolve quicker in China than perhaps in other jurisdictions.
Beyond the regulatory environment (which, globally, remains very fragmented), public acceptance remains a key obstacle on the path to full AD roll-out and there is a sense of a certain level of public scepticism in Europe. Autonomous trucks and other commercial uses are expected to be the more accepted starting point and it was debated whether a softer introduction may even be required to get public acceptance over the line (for example, through the use of separate, dedicated lanes for autonomous vehicles).
Growing patent risks and opportunities
As vehicles continue to accumulate newer and more wide-ranging technologies the associated risk of those technologies infringing patent rights is also growing. Manufacturers need to carefully consider their freedom to operate in light of what is now a very widespread patent landscape. Litigation has already been seen in relation to telecoms technologies integrated into vehicles, and battery litigation and licensing is likely to increase as EVs become more common. However, it was noted that there is scope for a wide range of other technologies to be incorporated into vehicles in the future and these will increase the spread of IP risk that OEMs will need to take into account.
As many companies operating in Europe will already be aware, the Unified Patent Court (UPC) has changed the patent litigation landscape. The automotive sector is no exception and fast-moving proceedings in the UPC can present opportunities for patentees and risks for potential infringers.
Relevance of Standard Essential Patent (SEP) licensing for the industry grows
Increasing connectivity between vehicles and their environment (relying on telecoms technologies such as 5G and WIFI) has brought renewed focus on SEP licensing for the industry. SEP licensing platforms – such as that offered by Avanci – can help companies navigate this complex environment, but challenges remain.
Beyond cellular, there were discussions as to other areas in the automotive industry where SEPs might become relevant, including video coding / streaming. It remains to be seen the extent to which there will be standardisation in the EV battery field – for example, in respect of charging technology or even battery recycling – but there was a feeling that some level of standardisation is coming, together with associated FRAND licensing commitments.