In the course of a legal dispute with Nokia, the manufacturer Lenovo, which is also popular in this country, was imposed on the sale of laptops. The Chinese group immediately appealed the judgment - now the sales ban in Germany has been suspended, at least temporarily.
Anyone who visited Lenovo's online shop until recently was confronted with a message from the manufacturer to customers: "We're sorry! We can currently only offer a limited product portfolio." If you opened the link to the currently available products, it quickly became clear: Laptops, PCs and tablets from Lenovo were removed from the range on October 20 - only screens, docking stations and other accessories could still be ordered via the shop.
The reason for this was a legal dispute with the Finnish manufacturer Nokia, as a Lenovo spokesman confirmed to CHIP. Accordingly, on September 30, a court in Munich issued an order according to which Lenovo illegally sold hardware with video compression technology for which Nokia has a patent.
Lenovo has been accused of unwillingness to talk, despite the unauthorized use of the Nokia patent. However, Nokia is open to targeted discussions on the subject in the future.
Ban on the sale of Lenovo products: what's next for the manufacturer in this country?
Until recently, anyone who visited Lenovo's online shop would only find a significantly reduced range of hardware. Lenovo, on the other hand, complained that Nokia's license terms were discriminatory and that the Finnish manufacturer refused to pass them on to third parties on fair terms. The licensing of standardized technologies is crucial for the future of the tech industry - Nokia's approach would endanger it.
As Lenovo has now confirmed to CHIP, the sales ban for Lenovo in Germany has been suspended by the Munich Higher Regional Court for the "duration of Lenovo's appeal against the judgment" ; Lenovo is allowed to sell laptops and Co. again in Germany for the time being. In the manufacturer's online shop, the products are now listed normally again and ready to be ordered.
A sales stop brought about by another manufacturer can be very expensive for the plaintiff under German law: If the injunction is lifted, Nokia would have to compensate Lenovo for the lost sales during the period. However, the sales ban should also increase the chances that both parties will soon go to the negotiating table.