Huawei: No theft of smartphone camera patents

Huawei Technologies Co on Tuesday denied the accusation that the company has stolen smartphone camera patents, and criticized the US government of using a host of "unscrupulous" means to disrupt its normal business operations.

The comments came after the Wall Street Journal reported that the US Department of Justice probed Huawei over alleged theft of smartphone camera patents.

While highlighting that the allegations are false, Huawei said in a statement that "None of Huawei's core technology has been the subject of any criminal case brought against the company, and none of the accusations levied by the US government have been supported with sufficient evidence."

"We strongly condemn the maligned, concerted effort by the US government to discredit Huawei and curb its leadership position in the industry," Huawei added.

The company said its representatives met with Rui Pedro Oliveira, a Portuguese citizen who accused Huawei of stealing his smartphone camera patents, in 2014 per his request, but the company did not use his design in smartphone cameras.

Huawei said it started in 2017 to sell the EnVizion 360 panoramic camera, independently designed and developed by its employees, who had no access to Oliveira's information. Unlike Oliveira's single-lens and expandable design, Huawei's camera was nonexpandable and also featured lenses on both sides designed for panoramic pictures.

The Shenzhen-based company said beginning in April 2018 and continuing through March 2019, Oliveira began emailing Huawei, claiming that the EnVizion 360 had infringed on his US patents. In his emails, he repeatedly issued threats, saying that if Huawei did not pay an extortionate amount of money, he would go to the media and exert pressure through political channels.

"Oliveira is taking advantage of the current geopolitical situation. He is pushing a false narrative through the media in an attempt to capitalize on a dispute. This type of behavior should not be encouraged, nor should it be considered rational justification for a criminal investigation by the US Department of Justice," Huawei said.

Oliveira was not immediately available for comment.

The move came as the US government has been leveraging its political and diplomatic influence to lobby other governments to ban Huawei equipment in 5G networks for months.

"Furthermore, it (the US government) has been using every tool at its disposal – including both judicial and administrative powers, as well as a host of other unscrupulous means – to disrupt the normal business operations of Huawei and its partners," Huawei said.

According to the company, it has invested heavily in research and development for more than 30 years. It is now the world's largest telecom equipment maker and the world's second-largest smartphone vendor by shipments.

Huawei said it has more than 180,000 hardworking employees around the globe. And it has won the trust and support of its customers, suppliers and partners.

"This is the source of our company's success. No company becomes a global leader in their field through theft," Huawei said.