LG Electronics joins Via Licensing Alliance’s Qi wireless charging patent pool as licensor, licensee

Context: Qi is an open standard for wireless, inductive charging developed by the Wireless Power Consortium. The market for Qi wireless charging devices has boomed significantly in recent years, projected to be worth $11.4 billion by 2031 (January 2025 IndustryArc report). In parallel, the Qi-related patent market has seen significant momentum, with a number of lawsuits emerging, including in the Unified Patent Court (September 13, 2024 ip fray article), and the launch of a patent pool (Via Licensing Alliance’s Qi-related standard-essential patent (SEP) pool). That program includes patents from several major patentees, including Philips, Bosch, Panasonic, General Electric, ConvenientPower, and WiTricity, with a share of over 50% of the Qi wireless charging patent space. The pool is structured according to the component type (i.e. power accessory, medical device, transmitters or receivers). Royalty rates therefore range from anywhere between $0.20 and $0.85 per unit. Currently, there are no other programs dedicated to the licensing of Qi SEPs, although Philips has its own Wireless Power Patent Program, which comprises over 1200 patents, including several Qi-related SEPs.

What’s new: Following just over a year of talks, LG has joined Via LA’s Qi wireless charging patent pool as both a licensor and licensee.

Direct impact: Previously covering approximately 50% of all declared SEPs in the Qi wireless charging space, Via LA’s share of Qi SEPs increases to just over that with the addition of LG’s Qi patent portfolio to its patent pool.

Wider ramifications: Though Qi is already well established as a leading standard in wireless charging, Via LA’s pool will help to further speed the deployment of Qi wireless charging. The company has stated that it expects more patentees and licensees to join the pool, at an even faster rate following this news, as it gains ground globally.

In a statement today, Mr. YoungHan Song, VP and Head of the LG Electronics IP Business Development Division, said:

“We’re happy to be joining Via LA’s Qi patent pool, which represents an efficient and effective means of generating value from our extensive patent portfolio in the charging space. LG Electronics has a deep tradition and history of innovation, and we believe that this new partnership will enhance our success and create additional value for the company as we continue to prioritize innovation.”

Via LA’s President Heath Hoglund noted that Qi is the “most usable and widely accepted” wireless charging standard available on the market today.

He added:

“We’re excited to further deepen the breadth of our Qi portfolio, which allows us to offer an even more comprehensive and efficient licensing opportunity for manufacturers of Qi-enabled products.”

Meanwhile, Via LA’s vice president of program management Willy Chang says there is “a lot of reason to be optimistic” about Qi’s market potential, which continues to see strong momentum in its adoption. One of the reasons the company is “particularly excited” about the potential for the growth and adoption of the Qi standard is that their licensors and licensees are represented in regions across the world – from the Americas to Europe, to India, other parts of Asia, and beyond, he notes.

Mr. Chang adds:

“In the consumer electronics space, more and more categories are adopting the Qi standard, from mobile phones to headsets and other accessories. Additionally, in 2024, about 50% of all autos sold around the world included in-car wireless charging, and Qi remains the most widely adopted wireless charging protocol within new vehicles.”

LG has been a considerably active participant in Via LA’s patent pools. It is currently a major licensor (and licensee) in its H.264/AVC pool, contributing 64 active and 936 expired patents (source), as well as its ATSC 3.0 patent pool, and was previously a licensor in its VC-1 and IEEE 802.11 programs (although it no longer contributing to those).

LG’s deal with Via LA comes following a string of new additions to the company’s patent programs. Last week, it announced the expansion of TCL and Panasonic’s participation in its ATSC 3.0 patent pool as a licensor and licensee, respectively, and the addition of Korea Electronics Technology Institute, as a brand new member (licensor) (May 20, 2025 ip fray article).

In March, the pool administrator also announced that Huawei was joining its High-Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC)/Versatile Video Coding patent pool as both a VVC licensor and licensee (March 20, 2025 ip fray article). And, in February, it announced a strategic partnership with ULDAGE, a Japanese patent pool administrator that mainly focuses on digital broadcasting and emerging sectors (like EV charging) to help expand Via LA’s EV Charging patent pool in Japan (February 18, 2025 ip fray article).

On the litigation side, three Via LA licensors announced they were enforcing seven HEVC SEPs and are seeking an injunction in the Landgericht Dusseldorf (Düsseldorf Regional Court) against Microsoft (April 7, 2025 ip fray article).