BERLIN, GERMANY – Taiwanese tech giants Acer and ASUS have been barred from selling PCs and laptops in the German market after a court ruling related to a patent infringement dispute with Nokia. The Munich Regional Court issued an injunction against both companies over their use of Nokia’s High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC or H.265) technology.
Background of the Dispute
Last year, Nokia filed patent infringement claims against Acer and ASUS at the Munich Regional Court and the Unified Patent Court (UPC), alleging that the companies used its standard-essential HEVC video codec patents in their devices without obtaining proper licensing. Nokia contended that Acer and ASUS had been utilizing its patented technology in laptops, tablets, and monitors for years without paying licensing fees.
Court’s Decision and Impact
The court found both Acer and ASUS guilty of infringing Nokia’s patents and refused to grant licensing on fair, FRAND-compliant terms. As a result, the court has issued injunctions prohibiting the two companies from offering, distributing, importing, or possessing affected devices within Germany.
Acer has responded by temporarily suspending sales of its notebooks and PCs through its online store in Germany. Meanwhile, ASUS’s product pages for many systems on its German website are currently inaccessible, with notices indicating ongoing maintenance.
Scope of the Ruling
It is important to note that the injunction applies solely to the manufacturers. Retailers still holding Acer and ASUS products in stock are permitted to sell existing inventory; however, the companies cannot import new units into Germany. This may lead to shortages of Acer and ASUS devices in the German market until the dispute is resolved or a licensing agreement is reached.
Next Steps
The legal battle remains ongoing. Both Acer and ASUS could seek to negotiate licensing terms with Nokia or challenge the ruling further. Until then, consumers and retailers in Germany may face limited availability of these brands’ products.