It’s possible that Vivo will stop selling in Germany, much like Oppo did.
In light of a continuing patent dispute with Nokia, Oppo said last week that it would be suspending sales in Germany. Like its parent business, BBK Electronics, Vivo is a subbrand of a Chinese electronics giant that may soon pull out of the country.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Vivo blamed Nokia’s refusal to offer fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms for the failure to reach an agreement with the Finnish company about the renewal of license agreements. According to Vivo, the decision by the District Court of Mannheim in Germany could cause the company to temporarily cease operations there. The business went on to say it would file an appeal and keep talking with Nokia until a solution was found.
Initially a patent dispute, German courts concluded that phone makers were making use of Nokia’s assets without permission. Nokia demanded €2.50 from Oppo for each smartphone sold in discussions. It’s not apparent if Vivo’s terms were the same or comparable.
Vivo told its consumers that, despite the prospect of a sales suspension, the company is long-term committed to the German market and that the dispute should have no impact on its business elsewhere. Although Vivo has not yet stated that its phones will be banned in Germany, such a ban seems likely if Vivo’s appeal is denied.
Even if the German market doesn’t open up to Vivo’s smartphones, the Chinese manufacturer is hard at work on a number of new releases for 2018. The Vivo X Fold 2 and X Flip are two foldable smartphones that will be released on April 20. The company’s next tablet, the Vivo Pad 2, will also make its debut alongside the phones.