IPCom sues retailers in Germany to stop the sale of HTC products

It looks like HTC’s streak of bad luck just got extended after the ITC ruled in Apple’s favor which would basically see the ban of some of HTC’s Android products come 2012. Now over in Germany, a patent firm by the name of IPCom has sued about 100 retailers in Germany for continuing to sell HTC products after the December 20th deadline which was handed down in a ruling by German courts back in February 2009.

For those who are unfamiliar with this case, back in 2009 and due to a patent dispute between HTC and IPCom, the courts ultimately ruled in favor of IPCom and allowed the injunction against HTC smartphones being sold in Germany. However as the December 20th date loomed, it appears that HTC claimed to have found a way around the injunction by modifying their technology according to FOSS Patents’ Florian Mueller.

Well either HTC did not get these devices out in time or IPCom has yet to get the memo about it, but either way IPCom is not happy and is going after retailers carrying HTC’s products in an effort to prevent them from being sold. Not to mention that based on the court’s ruling, each time the injunction is contravened, HTC would face a penalty of up to €250,000 (~$326,200). With legal woes in the US and now more legal woes with IPCom in Germany, things are certainly looking rather bleak for HTC.

Tyler Lee
Categories: Cellphones
Tags: germany, HTC, injunction, Legal