Germany has banned the sales of Oppo and OnePlus 5G phones in Germany.
This is because Nokia has a lot of patents related to 5G hardware. The Chinese manufacturers (both Oppo and OnePlus are Chinese) are manufacturing and using this hardware without paying a royalty to Nokia.
Nokia has asked for 2.5 Euro per smartphone sold.
A German court in Mannheim gave an order in July this year. This order asked the Chinese manufacturers to reach an agreement with the patent holder – Nokia. This agreement could not be reached.
So, the court ruled (ordered) that these companies cannot sell their phones in Germany.
Oppo has released a statement for its customers in Germany, stating that customers can buy accessories, and will continue to get software updates on their current phones.
Not just Germany
Nokia has filed similar lawsuits in most European countries against the Chinese manufacturers. Those lawsuits are still waiting for a decision. Germany is Europe’s largest economy.