A Munich court’s ruling has thrown a legal wrench into ASUS’s German operations, effectively barring the company from selling PCs and notebooks in Europe’s largest economy. The decision stems from a patent infringement case involving Nokia’s HEVC/H.265 technology, which the court determined ASUS and Acer failed to license under FRAND (Fair, Reasonable, and Non-Discriminatory) terms.
The injunction, issued by the Munich I Regional Court (case no. Munich I - 7 O 4102/25), targets ASUS’s online store and official website in Germany, though the company has clarified that after-sales services—including warranty claims and technical support—will remain operational. Existing customers with valid warranties will still receive assistance, but the suspension creates an immediate revenue gap for ASUS in a critical market.
The legal dispute centers on ASUS’s use of HEVC encoding in its hardware, a technology Nokia claims it owns through patents. Rather than awarding damages, the court opted for an injunction, which ASUS has framed as an overreach. The company has not ruled out further legal action and is assessing its options to either challenge the decision or negotiate a resolution with Nokia.
What’s Affected—and What’s Not
For consumers, the ban means ASUS’s German web store and retail partnerships for PCs and notebooks are offline, though stockists may still have limited inventory until supplies run out. The suspension does not apply to accessories, peripherals, or non-HEVC devices. ASUS has also emphasized that its German call centers and repair services will continue functioning normally, ensuring no disruption to warranty coverage.
The timeline for resolution remains uncertain. If ASUS and Nokia reach a licensing agreement, sales could resume within months. However, if the company chooses to comply with the injunction, the ban could persist indefinitely, forcing ASUS to withdraw entirely from the German market—a scenario that would deal a significant blow to its European footprint.
Key Specs in Context
- Patent Dispute: HEVC/H.265 video encoding technology (used in many modern PCs and notebooks).
- Court Ruling: Munich I Regional Court injunction (case no. Munich I - 7 O 4102/25).
- Scope: ASUS PCs and notebooks with HEVC support; accessories and non-HEVC devices unaffected.
- After-Sales: Warranty, support, and repairs continue under existing terms.
- Market Impact: Germany is ASUS’s largest European market by revenue; suspension could disrupt supply chains and financial projections.
The ruling also raises broader questions about FRAND compliance in hardware. Courts have increasingly favored injunctions over damages in patent disputes, particularly when manufacturers are deemed unwilling to negotiate in good faith. For ASUS, the immediate priority is mitigating operational disruptions while exploring legal or commercial pathways to lift the ban.
What’s clear is that the dispute extends beyond Germany. If ASUS’s stance on HEVC licensing is challenged in other regions, similar injunctions could follow, further complicating its global supply chain. The company’s decision to maintain support operations signals a commitment to customer trust, but the long-term financial and logistical costs of the ban remain unclear.
For now, ASUS’s German customers can still rely on repairs and warranty service, but the ability to purchase new hardware is on hold—pending a resolution that could take months, or even years, to materialize.
