Huawei has applied to trademark Hongmeng in at least nine countries as well as Europe.
Hongmeng is expected to be the name of Huawei’s new mobile operating system. It’s designed to reduce the company’s reliance on Android following the US ban on companies doing business with it.
The trademark demonstrates Huawei’s seriousness about launching its own mobile OS. The move was made necessary for the Chinese-owned technology company following Google’s compliance with the US ban.
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According to Reuters, the first time Huawei began to apply for Hongmeng OS trademarks outside of China was on May 14 – shortly after the US placed Huawei on its entity list. The applications were made to the European Union Intellectual Property Office and in South Korea.
Even before Huawei was placed on the US entity list, the company had spoken about a potential back-up operating system in case of circumstances in which it may be required.
The Huawei Android ban was possibly the most well-documented aspect of the company’s troubles in the US – however, Huawei has seen further consequences. The name of the alternative OS and suggestions it could arrive in the next couple of months emerged shortly after the May 14 trademark filings.
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The most recent casualty was the next laptop in Huawei’s popular Matebook line. Huawei was planning to launch the product at CES Asia in Shanghai this week. The launch has now been cancelled and it is unclear when – if ever – the laptop will be released. CEO of Huawei’s consumer division Richard Yu declared: “We cannot supply the PC”.
The effects of the Huawei ban hit the UK towards the end of May. EE originally planned to coordinate with Huawei on launching a 5G version of its foldable Mate X phone. However – following the US ban – EE confirmed it would not be selling Huawei’s 5G phones in the UK.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.