Huawei sues Samsung for millions

A worker adjusts the logo at the stand of Huawei at the CeBIT trade fair in Hanover, Mar 15, 2015.[Photo/Agencies]

Huawei Technologies Co Ltd has filed lawsuits against Samsung Electronics Co Ltd over alleged patent infringements, demanding compensation as high as 80 million yuan ($11.95 million), local media reports.

The dispute comes as the Chinese tech company emerges as the world's third largest smartphone vendor, and highlights that patent conflicts are intensifying amid slowing global demand for handsets.

The Shenzhen-based company confirmed to China Daily that it had filed patent infringement lawsuits against Samsung in two courts in China.

"Huawei is looking for legal protection for its property rights and for a "reasonable" compensation," the company said in a statement.

qq.com, a news portal owned by Tencent Holdings Ltd, reported on Wednesday the Quanzhou intermediate people's court had recently accepted Huawei's case and Samsung was asked to provide 80 million yuan ($11.95 million) as compensation.

Huawei said the second case was filed with the Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court, but declined to provide details.

According to a local media report, the dispute involves 16 types of handsets from Samsung, which Huawei argues infringe its patents in telecommunication technologies.