The German Daimler and technology companies Sharp and Nokia are at odds with each other. Now that the parent company of Mercedes-Benz has lost a patent case, a German sales ban is hanging over the head.
Sharp and Nokia together took Daimler to court. That would have infringed their patents in mobile technology solutions. According to Automotive Management the Munich court agrees with the technology companies. If Daimler does not win the appeal, Sharp and Nokia can demand a stop on the sale of car models that use the relevant technology.
However, the sales ban was not simply demanded. The tech companies must first deposit a deposit as a kind of collateral. If Daimler is proved right on appeal, it can claim the surety to recover any lost income. The judge ruled that Nokia must pay 7 billion euros as a deposit, Sharp should guarantee 5.5 billion euros. If they do pull the long straw, Daimler may run into serious trouble. It should change the entire IT infrastructure of the models used. A lawsuit with a tail!