HTC smartphones could be banned from sale in Germany - LesMobiles.com

Ah, patents! We often talk about when it comes to trial, less often when they are in fine style for which they were designed: to protect intellectual property. Between Nokia and HTC, it is still a story of court …

most visible battles are not always those who do the most harm. Here, take the war between Apple and Samsung. It lasted more than two years, the two adversaries engaging in a game without end, without charges, appeals and other legal maneuvers to know who had invented and patented dozens of design elements. The result? Samsung has lost almost all the points and had to make several big checks to Apple. The result in practice? It’s hard to remember a day during which a Samsung smartphone ban would have to be sold on a territory. The Korean giant is also thriving.

However, when it comes to smaller entities, such as HTC and Nokia, a similar outcome could have more impact in terms of one or other of the two companies. Already, there is some time, HTC has received an injunction prohibiting the sale of HTC Mini One in the UK. Rival in the case, Nokia, won a judicial proceeding. Today, we learn that HTC also has concerns in Germany. The firm, according to a local judge, would have used a patent owned by Nokia be around managing the USB on mobile. The sentence came down, and it is severe: HTC could no longer sell Android smartphone in the country

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catastrophic, insofar as it opens a window that could be used to prohibit other Android devices in the worst case. And even if Google does not enter the dance with its patent portfolio to play the white knight, it may be whether sooner or later need: in the meantime, HTC must find a new way to operate its aircraft or lose some functionality related to USB. Or, of course, enter into an agreement with Nokia and pay royalties to the manufacturer whenever a smartphone is sold … a solution that a company like HTC, not at its best, does not necessarily enjoy. So, it is not well underway for the Taiwanese manufacturer, especially when we know that the next game between the two firms will be played in the U.S., where losses could be enormous.