We don’t blame the reader if they feel dj vu with this news, because this has already happened. OPPO and OnePlus have had no choice but to stop selling mobile phones in Germany, and again it has been due to a patent issue that has yet to be resolved.
Readers will remember that in 2022 both brands had to temporarily leave the German market, after a German court granted that capacity to Nokia, the plaintiff who was requesting payment for patents used by the mobile phones of both brands. Several months later, another ‘sister’ brand of the BBK group, alive, was also affected.
That story ended with a happy ending, with OPPO signing peace with Nokia thanks to a cross-licensing agreement that will allow both companies to use some of the other’s patents. However, this movie has a sequel, and now OPPO faces exactly the same situation, more or less.
And, on this occasion, the plaintiff is not Nokia, but an American company called InterDigital; However, as in bad sequels, the story is the same. Again, InterDigital accuses OPPO and OnePlus of using their patents, specifically in the related to 5G connectivity. And again, the court has granted the plaintiff the ability to request a pause on sales of the affected devices while the situation is resolved; a power that InterDigital has used and that has forced both brands to withdraw their products from stores.
Specifically, OPPO and OnePlus have had to stop selling smartphones, and as we have seen, none of the German stores of both brands offer mobile phones of any kind; in fact, OPPO store has closed completelyand only displays an information message for its users, confirming that their devices are not available in Germany. For its part, OnePlus has not closed its German store, and although it has removed the cell phones, it continues to offer other devices such as the OnePlus Pad 2 tablet, the OnePlus Watch 2 watch and the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 headphones.
OPPO’s German store has closed
The Free Android
InterDigital is a company specialized in technological development, with innovations in different changes such as wireless connectivity, video and Artificial Intelligence. The company boasts that analysts put it in the Top 3 of cell phone patent holders more often than any other; Between 8 and 10% of these patents are considered “essential” to meet telecommunications standards, so mobile manufacturers have no choice but to reach agreements with Interdigital to offer basic functions in their devices. This is what has already happened to Motorola and Lenovo, who also had to leave Germany due to a lawsuit from InterDigital.
Now the question is how long this situation will last, and if it can be extended to other European countries like Spain; As for the second, both brands They continue to operate in our country without problemsand that is not expected to change in the near future. And regarding the first, it all depends on how long it takes for those involved to reach an agreement.
For its part, OPPO has stated in statements to EL ESPAOL – El Androide Libre, that “advocates reasonable collaboration” and that he “continue negotiating with InterDigital” and that he wishes to resolve the matter “amicably.” Meanwhile, the commitment to the Spanish market seems unwavering, and promises that “we will continue our journey to provide excellent products and services to users around the world, including users in Europe.”