Two major computer brands, Acer and ASUS, have temporarily stopped selling desktops and laptops in Germany after Nokia won a lawsuit related to the H.265 video technology patent.
The ruling from the German court prohibits these two companies from offering, marketing, importing and even owning some equipment that is considered to be in violation in the country.
However, the decision does not mean that Acer and ASUS products will disappear immediately from the market.
German retailers are not directly affected, so they can still continue to sell existing inventory.
Consumers are still able to buy circulating models, but the supply is at risk of decreasing in the near future because businesses cannot import new goods.
Experts believe that this situation could create pressure forcing the parties to quickly reach a licensing agreement.
If the dispute lasts, German consumers may face fewer choices in the personal computer market in the coming months.
The focus of the lawsuit lies in high-performance video encryption technology HEVC (H.265), a common video compression standard in the digital ecosystem today.
Nokia accuses Acer and ASUS of infringing three patents related to this standard. Another company, Hisense, was also named but has reached a licensing agreement with Nokia since the beginning of the year.
HEVC plays an important role in modern computing when widely supported on integrated graphics processors, discrete GPUs and chip systems.
This technology appears in operating systems, streaming services, online conferencing software and many other multimedia applications.
Not supporting HEVC can significantly reduce product performance, making it almost a mandatory standard for computer manufacturers.
Although new generation codecs such as AV1 are being developed, HEVC is still deeply ingrained in the current hardware and software infrastructure.
This makes it difficult for businesses to avoid licensing if they want to maintain competitiveness.
HEVC is classified as a standard essential patent group (SEP), so it must be licensed under the FRAND principle (fairness, rationality and non-discrimination).
Patent holders have an obligation to provide a license, but disputes often arise around specific fees and terms.
Acer and ASUS said they respect intellectual property law, but the German court ruled that the current positions of the two companies violate Nokia's rights.
Germany is famous for its strict stance in enforcing patent law, especially with SEP disputes in the technology sector.
Until an agreement or ruling is reconsidered, direct sales of Acer and ASUS computers in Germany will still be suspended.
This is considered a rare but noteworthy disruption in one of the largest technology markets in Europe.
