Following a court case opposing them to Nokia, Oppo and OnePlus have suspended their sales of smartphones and connected watches in Germany. At issue: the use of 4G and 5G technologies deemed illegal. France is not concerned.
The news is surprising: Oppo and OnePlus, two brands that are well established in the European tech landscape, are suspending their sales of smartphones and connected watches in Germany. This is what we learn from an article by 9to5Google taking stock of this rather strange situation.
Indeed, if you take a look at the German sites of these two brands – both belonging to the Oplus group – you will see that they are rather empty. On that of Oppo, for example, there is no longer any section leading to the presentation of products, their characteristics or even to purchase links. In comparison, the manufacturer’s French site does have a ” smartphones ” and another ” Connected objectss” for its connected watches and wireless headphones.
On the side of the German OnePlus site, everything still seems normal at first glance. But just search the side of the online store, smartphone section, to realize that there is nothing on that side.
Same story for connected watches. However, no worries a priori on other types of products.
Why Oppo and OnePlus stop selling smartphones in Germany?
We obviously wonder what could have caused such a situation. The answer is to be sought on the side of German justice. Indeed, a legal case opposed Nokia to Oppo and OnePlus. As a reminder, the Nokia brand is not only exploited on the smartphone market. It is also and above all a very important group in the telecoms sector and, among other things, 4G and 5G infrastructures.
However, the Finnish company attacked Oppo and OnePlus, accusing them of having used its 4G and 5G technologies illegally. The two manufacturers were thus accused of not having paid the appropriate licenses to Nokia, which certainly constitutes an infringement. In other words, it would be intellectual property theft. Oppo had however appealed a first decision, but despite this attempt, the Mannheim court confirmed the first sanction.
At the time, a risk of banishment was already threatening sales of Oppo and OnePlus smartphones in Germany. It would seem that this risk has materialized.
Oppo’s response
We have contacted the French subsidiaries of Oppo and OnePlus about this. The first answered us and is justified in particular by pointing the finger at a little urban attitude on the part of Nokia.
As the owner of numerous 5G patents, Oppo values the role of intellectual property in innovation. We are accustomed to establishing cross-licensing agreements with many leading companies and are committed to promoting a healthy intellectual property ecosystem. The day after Oppo and Nokia’s 4G contract expired, Nokia immediately took legal action after demanding unreasonably high renewal fees.
In addition, Oppo claims that it is already taking the necessary steps for a return to normal, stressing, in passing, the temporary nature of this suspension.
Our long-term commitment to the German market remains the same and we are working proactively with affected parties to resolve the ongoing issue. Apart from the temporary suspension of sales and marketing of affected products through Oppo-owned channels, Oppo will continue operations in Germany. During this time, users can continue to use Oppo products, access after-sales services, receive future operating system updates, and more.
France is not concerned
Another legitimate question: is France affected by this temporary suspension of sales? No, Oppo retorts. ” Other markets are not affected. The injunction is limited to a temporary suspension of sales and marketing of the affected products through Oppo-owned channels in Germany “.
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