Topline
BMW is fighting back against Broadcom’s push for higher patent royalties by asking a U.S. court to clear its vehicles of infringement claims, escalating a licensing dispute that has already led to lawsuits in Germany over automotive Ethernet and Wi-Fi technology used in BMW vehicles.
This photo taken on July 16, 2026 in Munich, southern Germany, shows the company’s logo atop the so-called BMW tower, the global corporate headquarters of German carmaker BMW. (Photo by Astrid VELLGUTH / AFP via Getty Images)
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Key Facts
BMW AG is asking a Texas federal district court to declare that its vehicles do not infringe on three Avago-owned patents covering automotive Ethernet and Wi-Fi technologies, according to a lawsuit filed Monday.
BMW and Broadcom’s subsidiary Avago Technologies signed a global patent license in October 2020 that has since expired, and BMW claims Broadcom since 2025 has sought to renew the license at royalty rates that would be “many times more” than the previous agreement, according to the complaint.
Broadcom identified patents it said were relevant to BMW in January 2026, and sent at least six infringement presentations in March and June accusing BMW of using patented technology for specific models, the suit alleged.
The accusations include the BMW 3 Series G20, M3 G80, MINI Countryman U25, 2025 BMW 1 Series, 4 Series, 3 Series and X3 for the Ethernet patents, and the BMW 5 Series for the Wi-Fi patent.
Avago sued BMW in Germany in June and August over European patents corresponding to two of the three U.S. patents at issue in Monday’s complaint.
BMW, in addition to seeking a declaration of noninfringement, is asking for a permanent injunction barring Broadcom and Avago from asserting the three patents against BMW, its vehicles and components, and its customers, importers and suppliers.
KEY BACKGROUND
Avago is the owner of the three patents, while Broadcom is the parent company. BMW’s 2020 license agreement with Avago also covered Broadcom’s global patent portfolio. Avago acquired Broadcom in 2016 and formed Broadcom Limited, which became Broadcom Inc. in 2018 when it relocated its legal incorporation from Singapore to Delaware.
BIG NUMBER
$37 billion. The value of Avago’s 2016 acquisition of Broadcom, which brought Broadcom’s semiconductor and connectivity technology into the company that now owns the patents at the center of BMW’s complaint.
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