Asus and Acer hit with laptop and PC sales ban amid Nokia HEVC patent dispute in Germany

Following a patent ruling by the Munich I Regional Court, Asus and Acer have suspended the direct sale of selected laptops and desktop PCs in Germany. This is the result of a dispute with Nokia over standard-essential patents tied to the H.265 video codec, which is also known as HEVC.

Per the court, Acer and Asus were not acting as willing licensees under the applicable FRAND framework. For reference, the FRAND framework refers to fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory licensing terms, and following the findings, the court has granted an injunctive relief.

In a statement to PC Welt, Acer confirmed that the company has temporarily suspended direct sales of the affected products in Germany. The brand added that it's reviewing legal options and exploring further action to reach a solution. Non-affected products are still available directly from the official store. Asus has yet to share an official statement, but as HardwareLuxx highlights, the official German online store is down "for service enhancements."

It's also worth noting that the injunction applies to the manufacturers, and not third-party retailers (ROG Strix G18 G814FP curr. €2,399 on Amazon.de). That means the existing inventory can still be sold through retail channels, but replenishment of these retailer inventories can face a disruption if direct shipments remain paused.

Another thing that's worth mentioning is that this isn't the first time a lost patent dispute against Nokia has resulted in a sales ban. Amazon, for example, lost a court case in 2024 and had to modify its Fire TV Sticks. OnePlus also faced a similar sales ban in Germany in 2023 after losing a patent dispute against Nokia.

That said, following the ruling, Nokia stated that it is seeking fair compensation for the use of its technology. The company has also expressed willingness to continue negotiations with Asus and Acer. Nokia's statement also mentions Hisense, which has taken a license in related proceedings.