Oppo, OnePlus Smartphone Sales Halted in Germany Following 5G Patent Dispute With Nokia: Report

Other BBK Electronics subsidiaries like Vivo and Realme could also face similar bans.

By Siddhant Chandra | Updated: 9 August 2022 13:27 IST

Oppo, OnePlus Smartphone Sales Halted in Germany Following 5G Patent Dispute With Nokia: Report

Photo Credit: OnePlus

Oppo and OnePlus smartphones have been delisted from their respective German sites

Highlights

BBK Electronics could be forced to reach a worldwide agreement with Nokia
The companies might have to pay EUR 2.5 per smartphone for the license
Oppo, OnePlus users can continue to operate already-owned devices

Oppo and OnePlus have reportedly suspended smartphone sales in Germany following a recent judgement from the Munich Regional Court 1. Nokia had reportedly sued the two companies for using proprietary 5G technology in its smartphones without licensing it. The companies have purportedly delisted all smartphones from their German sites, although other accessories remain. Its handsets are expected to go on sale and soon disappear from other online stores as well like Amazon, Media Markt, and more. The ban on smartphone sales was reportedly imposed last Friday after the Chinese companies seemingly failed to reach an agreement with Nokia.

According to a report by WinFuture, Oppo and OnePlus are now prohibited from selling smartphones in Germany. The ban was reportedly imposed after a Munich court ruled in favour of Nokia, which had filed a lawsuit against the companies. Nokia had accused the two Chinese companies of using patented 5G technology without purchasing any license from the Finnish company.

The report further mentions that even other smartphone brands under the BBK Electronics umbrella — Vivo and Realme — might also be forced to leave the German smartphone market. Nokia is reportedly pursuing similar lawsuits against these brands in France, Spain, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Great Britain. BBK group might have to dish out EUR 2.5 (roughly Rs. 200) per smartphone for licensing Nokia's 5G technology and settle for a worldwide licensing agreement.

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In July, the Munich Regional Court 1 reportedly had stated that if the two parties do not come to an agreement with Nokia, a sales ban could be issued in the German market. Oppo had reportedly previously agreed to pay taxes on the 5G patents. However, after those contracts purportedly expired, renegotiations between Nokia and Oppo failed, which lead to the lawsuit.

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In a statement given to Wirtschaftswoche, an Oppo spokesman said, "Apart from suspending the sale and marketing of certain products, Oppo will continue to operate in Germany." Customers can continue to operate already-purchased devices. As previously mentioned, only accessories are available on the German sites of Oppo and OnePlus.

Why is Oppo making strange choices with its flagship Reno series? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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