telecommunications
Nokia wins patent lawsuit against smartphone maker Vivo
The company logo of the technology company Nokia at the headquarters in Espoo. photo
© Mikko Stig/Lehtikuva/dpa
Stage victory for Nokia: According to the Mannheim district court, Vivo has wrongly used three patents from the Finnish network specialist in its smartphones. But an appeal is still pending.
The network equipment supplier Nokia has won a patent case against the Chinese smartphone provider Vivo, which could stop the sale of its devices in Germany as a result. The district court in Mannheim determined that three Nokia patents had been infringed, as the Finnish company announced on Wednesday. Vivo is preparing an appeal against the decision. In the meantime, however, precautions are being taken to suspend the sale of the devices through official channels, a spokesman said.
Nokia had also previously obtained patent decisions against Vivo-affiliated Chinese smartphone brands Oppo and OnePlus. The patents now affected are about technologies for access to networks, some of which are part of the core of mobile communications standards. According to Nokia, the previous license agreement expired at the end of 2021. Nokia emphasizes that all possible steps have been taken to reach an out-of-court settlement. Vivo counters that Nokia has failed in its obligation to offer a license on fair, reasonable terms without discrimination.