ASUS and Acer stop selling laptops and operating websites in Germany due to Nokia’s victory in court

Acer and Asus are temporarily banned from selling personal computers and laptops in Germany. The decision was made by the Munich I Regional Court in a patent dispute with Nokia over the use of the HEVC/H.265 video standard.

At the end of January, the Seventh Chamber of the Civil Court concluded that both manufacturers infringed Nokia patents and had not concluded a license agreement for the use of the relevant technologies. The court banned Asus and Acer from offering, distributing, importing or storing devices covered by the disputed patents in Germany. The wording of the decision actually covers a significant part of modern PC and laptop models, since the HEVC standard is deeply integrated into their hardware and software components.

On February 14, it became known that both brands had stopped selling computer equipment in the country. Subsequently, their German websites became inaccessible to users, which made it impossible to download drivers and software updates. Acer plans to keep only monitors and accessories in the official online store. Third-party retailers can sell products from warehouses, but no new deliveries are expected.

Why Nokia went to court against Acer, Asus, Hisense

Nokia’s portfolio contains a number of European patents related to HEVC/H.265 technology, including EP 2 375 749 and EP 2 661 892, which describe basic video compression methods. In 2025, the company filed parallel lawsuits against Acer, Asus and TV manufacturer Hisense in the Munich Regional Court and the Unified Patent Court. Hisense subsequently reached an agreement with Nokia and entered into a global licensing agreement, while the dispute with Acer and Asus continues.

In its official statement, Asus said it had temporarily closed its German website and online store following a preliminary injunction in the Munich I – 7 O 4102/25 case. The restrictions apply to certain PCs and products that use the high-efficiency video coding technology HEVC. At the same time, the company noted that all customer service channels in Germany remain available, and existing users receive support in accordance with the court decision. Asus also stated its intention to explore further legal steps to resolve the situation.

The manufacturers’ websites may still be inaccessible from certain IP addresses, in particular from Ukraine, as well as if the system or browser is in German. At the same time, users can obtain the necessary information through the companies’ official resources in other countries, in particular in the Asian region.