Firm denies patent theft claims

Huawei Technologies Co on Tuesday denied accusations 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 on alleged theft of smartphone-camera patents.

Huawei said: "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 has been supported with sufficient evidence."

"We strongly condemn the malign, 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 at his request, but the company did not use his design in smartphone cameras.

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

The Shenzhen-based company added that "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."

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.