After the new generation of S-class was launched, there has been constant debate on the Internet. As the generation that has changed the most, the S-class not only brings many new technologies, but also adopts a new style in appearance. It is this new design language that makes Many people said that the Mercedes-Benz S-Class is no longer the previous Mercedes-Benz S-Class. However, amid the controversy, Mercedes-Benz has gotten into trouble because of this generation of S-Class.
On September 10, a court in Munich, Germany ruled that Daimler lost its patent lawsuit against Japan's Sharp regarding mobile technology. The court held that Daimler used Sharp's technology without permission. . The court's ruling will allow Sharp to request a ban on the sale of Daimler cars in Germany. This is the second time that Mercedes-Benz has been sued in court over mobile technology. It had previously had a patent dispute with Nokia and was sued in court, eventually paying a deposit of 700 million euros.
But this time it is not as simple as before. Sharp applied to the court to ban the sale of Mercedes-Benz in the EU, especially in its native Germany. Sharp only needs to provide a mortgage of 5.5 million euros to implement the ban. You must know that Nokia was asked by the court for a mortgage deposit of 7 billion euros before. If Mercedes-Benz appealed, it would compensate Mercedes-Benz. As a result, Nokia did not dare to apply for an injunction due to risk reasons. But this time the Munich court lowered the threshold for Sharp, and Sharp could almost It doesn't take much effort to get Mercedes-Benz banned from sale in Germany.
In this case, Mercedes-Benz has two options. The first is to appeal to the court to increase the amount of the deposit. After all, there is a precedent with Nokia. After increasing the amount, Sharp, which has been losing money for many years, will not be able to pay the deposit. , thus completely aborting the possibility of Mercedes-Benz stopping sales in the country, and making the previous lawsuits in vain. The second is to settle with Sharp out of court, pay a certain settlement fee, and pay for the patents of subsequent models. At present, the possibility of the second option is relatively high.
Of course, the cost of out-of-court settlement will not be low. After all, Sharp's current balance of payments is seriously unbalanced, and patents are being used everywhere to make money to survive. Some experts estimate that if Mercedes-Benz and Sharp choose to settle, they will have to pay at least 2 -The price of 600 million euros. How many cars does Mercedes-Benz have to sell in China to make money back? Mercedes-Benz has lost a lot of money in North America due to the emissions scandal in recent years, and its cash flow is very tight, so for Mercedes-Benz It is said that this is not a small expense.
Mercedes-Benz has been having a very difficult time in the past few years. The emissions scandal caused Mercedes-Benz to pay a huge price. It can be seen from the simplified configuration of domestic models by Mercedes-Benz China that Mercedes-Benz has given up its bottom line in order to make more money in the future. , saving the entire group by cutting Chinese leeks. The future of Mercedes-Benz, which is currently facing various problems, is still unknown. If Mercedes-Benz does not handle it properly this time and Sharp's application for an injunction is successful, Mercedes-Benz's inability to sell cars in Germany will not only be an economic loss, but also a fatal blow to the brand. As a It is a very shameful thing for a century-old car brand to be banned in its own country.
Note: The pictures come from the Internet, and the rights belong to the original author. Thank you! ?
This article comes from the author of Autohome Chejiahao and does not represent the views and positions of Autohome.