The Regional Court of Mannheim, Germany has ruled that Daimler has violated Nokia‘s patented cellular technology in its cars.

The ruling is likely to be appealed by Daimler in what has been a long-running dispute over how mobile connectivity technology in cars should be licensed.

Nokia said the court finding “confirms the quality of Nokia’s leading patent portfolio and further validates its automotive licensing program. Daimler must start respecting Nokia’s intellectual property.”

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

The court finding said Nokia acted in a fair way in licensing its cellular standard-essential patents (SEPs) and that Daimler is using Nokia technologies without authorization. “The facts show that Daimler and its supporters in the case aren’t willing to take a license,” the court said in a statement.

Jenni Lukander, President of Nokia Technologies, said: “Today’s finding is a major endorsement of the long-term engineering work by innovators at Nokia and the important principle that innovators should receive a fair reward for the use of their inventions. We hope that Daimler will now accept its obligations and take a license on fair terms. There is more to gain if we work together.”

See Also:

Nokia said it has an established licensing program and many automotive brands already license its patents for their connected vehicles, including Audi, Bentley, BMW, Mini, Porsche, Rolls Royce, Seat, Skoda and Volkswagen.

Nokia has several patent infringement actions pending against Daimler in Germany. The injunction was obtained with patent EP 2 981 103, which enables the car or other end user devices to communicate more efficiently with LTE networks. Nokia says it has patented this fundamental invention in many countries around the world.

Nokia wants Daimler to pay royalties based on each car sold, but Daimler has resisted and said the fees would be too high. Instead, it says Nokia should license the technology to the suppliers of the equipment used to integrate mobile devices in its vehicles and those suppliers should pass on the charge to OEMs.

Daimler and its supporters have argued that Nokia is abusing its market power.