According to the latest ruling of the Munich District Court, Asus and Acer are prohibited from directly selling their personal computer products in Germany. The judgment, handed down on January 22, 2026, has caused both manufacturers to suspend or remove relevant product listings from their German online stores and are currently evaluating legal options and the scope of the ruling.
The court order targets the manufacturer's own sales and distribution channels, rather than retailers selling existing stock, effectively leaving the German market only supplied through remaining stock from other OEMs and Asus and Acer.
The core reason for this decision is Nokia's patent claims, including core patents related to HEVC/H.265 codec technology. Since the graphics processors, processors and many other digital decoding and encoding engines used by Asus and Acer are involved in video processing, they must be licensed for use and can only be sold with Nokia's approval. The judge found that the two OEMs had failed to demonstrate their conduct as willing licensors under FRAND (fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory) rules, which led the court to grant injunctive relief rather than limiting the remedy to damages. There is currently no information on the duration of the injunction, which may require follow-up from the courts and the two OEMs.
Nokia has invested more than €150 billion in R&D since 2000 and plays an important role in creating, developing and maintaining video codec technology. The company also participates in numerous video standards committees to ensure compatibility between devices and technologies. However, problems arise when OEMs like Asus and Acer don't adhere to licensing agreements, complicating the situation and leading to legal action. Although the court's jurisdiction was limited to a single country, the ruling had a significant impact on the companies' planned sales. Despite the existence of international laws and courts, this case is an example of the consequences that a single court's ruling can have.