Oppo and OnePlus smartphones are no longer allowed to sell their smartphones in Germany. The order was issued after both companies refused to comply with the terms set by the German court. Finnish company Nokia initiated a lawsuit for patent infringement against Oppo and OnePlus, which it has since successfully won.
A German court in Mannheim issued a ruling in favor of Nokia in July of this year after finding that OnePlus and Oppo did not hold valid licenses for the 4G and 5G technologies they utilize in their handsets. Both parties were required by the court to reach a settlement, but they were unable to do so. The court then decided to prohibit the sale of Oppo and OnePlus smartphones in Germany.
Following the ban order, the product page has been removed from Oppo’s official website in Germany with the note, “Product information is not currently available on our website.” The company has also answered the question “Can I continue to use OPPO products without restrictions, access support and receive future updates?” with a note stating “Yes, you can continue to use your OPPO products without restrictions, access support and of course, you will also receive all future updates.”
In the meantime, the company will continue selling accessories like earphones and mobile chargers in Germany. Similar to this, OnePlus has removed all of its smartphones from its product page on its German website.
According to reports, Nokia had demanded a settlement amount of €2.50 for each OnePlus and Oppo smartphone sold as licensing fees. This demand was made not only for the sales in Germany but the sales made by both brands worldwide. Considering how big these brands have become in the global market, it is easy to see how substantial that settlement amount might turn out to be. So, it won’t be a surprise if both the companies find it better to exit the German market altogether.
However, the trouble doesn’t end there as Nokia has filed lawsuits against major BBK-owned companies across the whole of Europe. If these courts decide in favor of Nokia, we might see brands like Oppo, OnePlus and others exit the European markets.
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