HMD Global has been on a roll recently, unveiling a slew of new Nokia G, X, and C series smartphones. Although these new smartphones are available in other parts of the world, they are not available in Germany. For the time being, there is no word on other European markets.
According to recent reports, these new Nokia smartphones have been banned in a number of European markets. The lawsuit filed by VoiceAgesEVS LLC against HMD Global is the reason for the ban on Nokia smartphones in some markets.
HMD Global is being sued. The lawsuit, which was filed by the company VoiceAgeEVS, is about the VoLTE protocol, which is being used without permission. As a result, the company is now involved in EU legal proceedings. In terms of the business, VoiceAgeEVS LLC is responsible for issuing and licencing a global, standard-essential patent portfolio related to voice and audio technologies for smartphones and other products.
Apple, Lenovo, and TCL are among the companies that the company has previously sued. However, these companies reached an out-of-court settlement, with VoiceAgeEVS LLC allowing them to use voice standards to make VoLTE calls over the LTE network.
HMD Global, for example, was one of the smartphone manufacturers who failed to obtain VoiceAgeEVS LLC's permission before using the voice standards. This resulted in a lawsuit and, as a result, a ban on Nokia smartphone sales in Germany.
HMD Global has filed an appeal against the German court's decision, according to Nokiamob. HMD Global is reportedly refusing to sell its smartphones in Germany until a favourable court ruling is issued.
HMD Global has filed an appeal against the German court's decision, according to Nokiamob. HMD Global is reportedly refusing to sell its smartphones in Germany until a favourable court ruling is issued.
MD Global's Impact
This sales ban in Germany is bad news for HMD Global, which has only recently begun to see positive growth in its financial reports after four years in business. Furthermore, the Mobile World Congress (MWC) is just a few days away, and this is the absolute last thing that the Finnish company could face. HMD Global recently released the Nokia G21 smartphone for its fans, but it will not be available in select markets due to the ban.
