Overview
- The Regional Court of Munich I ruled on January 22 that Acer and Asus infringe Nokia’s H.265/HEVC standard‑essential patents and found them insufficiently license‑willing, issuing injunctions that block sales, import and distribution.
- Direct manufacturer sales in Germany have been suspended, with Acer’s shop taken offline and Asus listing PCs and laptops as unavailable, while monitors and accessories remain on offer.
- Retailers can continue selling existing inventory of affected PCs and notebooks, but normal replenishment from the manufacturers is paused, risking thinner availability over time.
- Nokia has begun preliminary enforcement by providing the required financial security, and violations of the injunctions could trigger substantial penalties.
- Both companies say they will pursue legal remedies, with appeals expected and Acer indicating it is preparing additional action, as the ubiquity of HEVC in modern hardware and software complicates any technical workaround.