According to German website WinFuture, the patents in question relate to specific wireless communication technologies functions. Vivo smartphones were found to infringe patents owned by Nokia, which led to the lawsuit.
Vivo has been unwilling to pay the license fees demanded by Nokia for these patents. As a result, Nokia took the matter to court in Germany and emerged victorious. Following the judgment, vivo released an official statement stating its intention to suspend sales in Germany, which has now become a reality.
While vivo may be attempting to resolve the issue with Nokia, it remains uncertain how long this process will take or if a solution will be reached regarding the disputed patents. If you visit the official vivo website in Germany, you’ll find that it’s empty, with a message saying that vivo products are currently unavailable in the country.
Vivo now joins two other smartphone companies, Oppo and OnePlus, who have also faced defeat against Nokia in the past. It appears that besides all three being Chinese smartphone manufacturers, they all share the inability to win against Nokia in court.
Nokia is also suing Oppo, OnePlus, and vivo in several other European countries, so it won’t be a surprise if, at some point, their infringing products get pulled from the market in those regions as well. The outcome will depend on the decisions made by the courts.
If you’re in Germany and still interested in purchasing a vivo phone, you can explore options for buying one from other European Union countries. Despite withdrawing from the German market, vivo continues to provide support for their devices, ensuring their existing customers are taken care of.
