Nokia forces OnePlus, Oppo to halt smartphone sales in Germany

Oppo and OnePlus have suspended smartphone sales in Germany after losing a patent dispute with Finish company Nokia in July. OnePlus is a sub-brand of the Chinese smartphone manufacturer Oppo.

Both companies were allegedly unwilling to comply with the German court's terms. Nokia claimed OnePlus and its parent company, Oppo, have adopted a technology it had already patented.

The aforesaid technology facilitates 4G and 5G signal processing without buying a license, as per a report by Juve Patent. Nokia accused the companies of patent infringement and ended up winning an injunction to pause sale in a German court.

Both parties failed to reach a settlement required by the German court.

Oppo and OnePlus have complied with the court's order by changing their German online stores. The product page on the official Oppo Germany website has been removed. There's a note on the website that states, "Product information is not currently available on our website."

Oppo has clarified that its products will continue to receive updates. People will also be able to use Oppo devices and even access support without any restrictions.

Meanwhile, the company will be selling other products such as audio accessories and mobile chargers in Germany. Likewise, OnePlus has taken off all of its handsets from the official OnePlus Germany online store.

Nokia reportedly asked OnePlus and Oppo to pay a settlement amount of €2.50 per smartphone sold as licensing fees.

This included sales of OnePlus and Oppo smartphones in Germany as well as in other regions. This settlement amount could prove to be quite substantial considering how big OnePlus and Oppo have become in the global market.

However, the trouble isn't likely to end there. The lawsuits against the companies have been filed across Europe. So, if a German court's decision is in favour of Nokia, companies like Oppo and OnePlus will soon leave the European markets.