U.S. tech company Verizon slammed Huawei’s infringement lawsuit and downplayed it as mere “PR stunt.” The telecom company alleged Thursday that the Asian company’s case against them is a “sneak attack on our company and our nation.
On Thursday, Huawei shocked the tech world when it filed a lawsuit against Verizon, alleging the latter that it violated some of the patents held by the Chinese tech giant. The lawsuit was filed in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Verizon’s stocks rose 0.84% by closing in Friday.
As a response to the lawsuit, Verizon released a strongly-worded statement claiming that the suit is not only an attack on their company but also to the entire country.
“Huawei’s lawsuit filed overnight, in the very early morning, is nothing more than a PR stunt,” a Verizon spokesperson told CNBC.
“This lawsuit is a sneak attack on our company and our nation. The action lacks merit, and we look forward to vigorously defending our company and our nation.”
In a much later statement, Verizon said that the lawsuit is an attack on the “entire tech ecosystem.”
“Huawei’s real target is not Verizon; it is any country or company that defies it,” the spokesperson said.
A spokesperson from Huawei said that the company has been trying to negotiate royalty payments with Verizon “for a significant period of time,” but an agreement was not met, leading to the filing of the lawsuit.