Since the advent of the iPhone, Nokia's mobile phone business has suffered a fatal blow, but this Nordic company still has many wireless communication patents, and the patent fees generated by these patents are quite nourishing. For traditional cars, when using wireless communication technology, patent royalties are generally charged according to the usage of each car, but Mercedes-Benz does not recognize this charging method. After a series of consultations, the two sides failed to reach an agreement. Finally, Nokia filed a lawsuit against Mercedes-Benz, and just a few weeks ago, this noisy patent infringement case was decided and Nokia won. This decision made it possible for some Mercedes-Benz models to be banned in Germany. Of course, the premise of the ban is that Nokia needs to provide a deposit (collateral) of 7 billion euros.
Coincidentally, on September 10, a court in Germany also ruled that Sharp sued Mercedes-Benz for infringing the right to use wireless patents, and Mercedes-Benz also lost the case. The court held that Mercedes-Benz used the relevant patents without permission. Through this judgment, Sharp can also ask Mercedes-Benz for a lock-up order, which is undoubtedly a great loss for Mercedes-Benz. Therefore, Mercedes-Benz will not sit still, and is actively preparing to appeal related cases.
The fundamental reason for these two cases lies in the charging method of patent use. Mercedes-Benz believes that fair access to standardized patent rights will help reduce the cost of automobiles and is very important for the development of the entire automobile industry. However, for the wireless communication providers represented by Nokia, the patent licensing fee is an important source of their profits. They still adhere to the previous patent method, and said that other automobile peers have always adhered to this method, and there is no differential treatment.
At present, Chinese mainland, Bosch and other well-known auto parts suppliers support Mercedes-Benz in succession, asking relevant EU departments to investigate whether Nokia is suspected of abusing patents, so as to stop this unfair competition. Before the press release, Mercedes-Benz had no lock-up order.
In my opinion, such a case spans a long time. If Nokia and Sharp demand the enforcement of the lock-up order, then if Mercedes-Benz wins the subsequent lawsuit, the huge deposit paid by the two companies will be used as compensation for Mercedes-Benz. There is no real winner on both sides, and it is more likely to settle privately. From the consumer's point of view, no matter what the final result is, it is our greatest concern not to affect the price of the car and the use of related functions.
This article comes from car home, the author of the car manufacturer, and does not represent car home's position.