Why LG has Licensed Wi-Fi Patents to Amazon

LG Electronics has signed a patent licence agreement with Amazon that covers the use of LG’s Wi‑Fi Standard Essential Patents in a range of connected devices.

Under the agreement, Amazon obtains a licence to use LG’s Wi‑Fi SEPs in products that rely on Wi‑Fi connectivity, including Amazon Echo devices, Fire TV Sticks and Fire Tablets. The deal sits within LG’s broader approach to monetising its patent portfolio across communications and consumer electronics markets.​

The agreement focuses on standard-essential patents, which must be licensed when a company adopts an international technical standard. In practice, any product compliant with that standard will use technologies that are covered by the SEP set.

Once a technology is adopted as an international standard by formal standardisation organisations, manufacturers integrate it into product lines deployed across multiple regions and device categories.​

LG Wi‑Fi SEPs across the Echo and Fire product lines

Amazon’s licensed use of LG’s Wi‑Fi SEPs extends to consumer electronics that embed Wi‑Fi for access to connectivity and services.

These include Echo smart speakers, Fire TV Stick streaming devices and Fire Tablets, which rely on Wi-Fi for functions such as media streaming and cloud-based applications.

The agreement positions LG’s Wi‑Fi SEPs as part of the technology baseline inside these Amazon devices, aligning with existing Wi‑Fi standards adopted in consumer environments.​

LG is in Wi‑Fi SEP licensing discussions with several global companies that employ Wi‑Fi standard technologies in products and services. The agreement with Amazon is part of that activity and serves as a reference case for other device makers and service providers using Wi‑Fi standard implementations.

LG patent portfolio in mobile, Wi‑Fi and codecs

LG holds a large patent portfolio covering standard technologies relevant to telecommunications and media delivery.

As of the first half of this year, it owns 97,880 registered patents worldwide, of which about half are standard-related.

The patents include fields such as mobile communications, Wi‑Fi, broadcasting and codecs, which underpin device connectivity and media processing across multiple platforms.​

LG applies patented technologies across product categories, including OLED TVs, washing machines and refrigerators. The products leverage underlying standard-related innovations to support connectivity, user interaction and content-handling functions in the consumer environment.

The same standard technology fields align with telecoms and broadcasting networks, where interoperability and compliance with global standards are part of deployment and procurement decisions.​

LG roadmap for 6G, V2X, AI and quantum computing

LG plans to extend its patent activity in emerging network and computing domains.

It aims to strengthen its patent position in 6G mobile communications, vehicle‑to‑everything communications, artificial intelligence and quantum computing, reflecting ongoing R&D programmes and participation in standards development.

The areas intersect with telecoms roadmaps for next‑generation access networks, low‑latency V2X connectivity and AI‑enabled network operations.​

In its vehicle solutions business, LG has received recognition for augmented reality technologies.

It has earned top honours for an AR navigation patent that supports in‑vehicle guidance features, reflecting work on integrating visual information into driver displays.

The AR activity connects with broader vehicle electronics strategies focused on connectivity, infotainment and driver support functions.​

LG licensing and intellectual property charter since 2022

Since 2022, LG has formally included patent and other intellectual property licensing in its corporate charter.

It incorporates patent licensing into the company’s defined business activities and supports efforts to generate revenue from standard-related assets and other IP.

The charter change aligns with LG’s use of its mobile and communications technologies in licensing programmes following its exit from the smartphone market.​

LG has been accelerating work to build sustainable value through IP‑driven innovation.

In practice, it includes negotiating licensing agreements for Wi‑Fi SEPs with multiple companies and expanding IP activity into new technical fields.

Cho links the Amazon agreement to this broader direction, stating that the company will continue to build on what he describes as industry‑leading patent competitiveness in Wi‑Fi standards.