Patent Ruling Forces Acer and ASUS to Suspend PC Sales in Germany
Brands that are banned are a common occurrence in the present-day tech world.
ASUS and Acer laptops affected by Germany sales restrictions linked to Nokia’s HEVC patent licensing dispute.
They usually occur due to geopolitical motives, especially when it's within the United States. In
Europe some brands Acer ASUS sales ban Germany. In the present, however, one of the most
commonly used codes, HEVC, is at the heart of a debate that caused the ban of the brands ASUS
along with Acer within Germany. And, even more alarmingly, Nokia is involved.
To give you an overview, Nokia owns several patents for video codecs. One of them, HEVC (or
High-Efficiency Video Coding) is found in all PCs, meaning that all PC makers must buy a
license in order to incorporate the codec on their computers. It's now a necessity therefore it's
rare to find ASUS or Acer to leave it out.
In Germany where licensing Nokia HEVC patent rulings are more stringent Both companies
were found to be in violation of the patent as reported in German newspaper Hardwareluxx. This
means that ASUS and Acer have to stop selling PCs and laptops until they receive authorization
from Nokia.
For clarity, it does not mean that both brands have been removed from the nation. Third-party
retailers are still able to sell their inventory. But, the retailers are unable to export or sell new
stock until there is an outcome to the dispute.
Naturally, the simplest fix is to simply purchase the license. Hisense Another company, which is
in the same situation and bought a license earlier this month. It could be that ASUS or Acer are
facing some technical issues or they weren't convinced that the license was worthwhile for only
one market.
