HMD Global, manufacturer of the well-known Nokia smartphones since 2016, is currently in a patent dispute. As a result, the company had to stop selling its devices in its own online shop. But now the first smartphones are back.
Until recently, the Nokia online store almost yawning emptiness. Since the end of February, only two models have been listed in the smartphone department – the Nokia G21 and the Nokia G11. Older smartphones did not appear at all. The reason for stopping sales in their own store was a patent dispute between HMD Global and VoiceAgeEVS LLC. But now Nokia continues to sell and offers partly modified models.
Updated April 8th
More smartphones in the Nokia shop again
In the meantime, Nokia’s online shop has filled up again. In addition to the Nokia G11 and G21, the models G50, X10, X20 and XR20 can now also be found there. However, they cannot be bought because the smartphones are not in stock. Only the Nokia G11 and G21 can still be added to the shopping cart.
Curious: the manufacturer has written the note “New Version” above all new models that have been added to the shop. However, HMD Global does not reveal what is new about the smartphones in detail. However, it can be assumed that the changes relate to the audio codec that caused the patent dispute.
HMD Global is thus taking a step forward, although it is unclear when smartphone sales in the Nokia shop will start again on a larger scale and new devices may even be added.
Original report as of February 24, 2022
Nokia involved in patent dispute
As the colleagues from “heise online” report, the patent dispute is about the rights to the EVS technology (Enhanced Voice Services). This is an audio codec that significantly increases voice quality, for example by covering a higher frequency range than HD voice, minimizing noise and making voices sound more natural. However, EVS only works if two smartphone users call each other via VoLTE, i.e. via the LTE network. The rights to the technology are held by the company VoiceAgeEVS LLC, which has offices in both Germany and the USA, together with the investment group Fortress.
VoiceAgeEVS LLC has sued several smartphone manufacturers over the past few years for infringing on the patents on the technology. In addition to HMD Global, Apple, TCL and Lenovo were also there. Apple has now reached an out-of-court settlement, while HMD Global has decided to go to court. However, the manufacturer VoiceAgeEVS LLC was defeated by the Mannheim Court of Justice last summer. This led to enforcement proceedings in Germany in December 2021.
HMD Global halts smartphone sales on its website
Upon request from TECHBOOK, HMD Global confirmed that it is a defendant in multiple lawsuits brought by VoiceAgeEVS LLC in various jurisdictions, including Germany. The manufacturer has already lodged an appeal against the enforcement proceedings issued in December. At the same time, to be on the safe side, it was decided at the end of February not to sell the affected smartphones for the time being.
“We are disappointed with the decision,” HMD Global wrote to us. However, it was ensured that none of the Nokia smartphones offered and sold in Germany supported EVS. “We will continue to sell Nokia phones in Germany. HMD remains confident about the outcome of the litigation and will continue to provide devices, accessories and services to consumers true to our slogan ‘Love it, Trust it, Keep it’.”
At the same time, the manufacturer emphasized that the smartphones were only removed from their own website and not from the shops. And in fact, models like the Nokia X20, the G50 or the Nokia 3.4 were and are still available from Amazon, Media Markt or Saturn, for example.
Stop selling Nokia smartphones in other countries too
Not only in Germany, but also in countries like France and Switzerland, HMD Global had decided to temporarily stop selling Nokia smartphones on its website. However, the devices were still listed in Austria and the USA.
It is unclear how long the legal dispute will drag on. However, it is doubtful whether the first defeat in court means the end for Nokia in Germany. After all, in the end, an agreement is usually reached in such proceedings.