Tech companies often find themselves in the news due to lawsuits. Apple, for example, recently faced a lawsuit from Masimo over the pulse oximeter technology in its smartwatches. This led to certain models being banned from sale until Apple removed the controversial technology. Similarly, BBK Group, which includes brands such as Oppo, OnePlus, Realme and Vivo, also had a patent dispute with Nokia. In some countries, such as Germany, these companies were temporarily banned from selling smartphones. Fortunately, the problem has been resolved and OnePlus is back in the European market.

OnePlus re-establishes its presence in the European market

Nokia and BBK Group recently resolved their dispute by signing an agreement. Nokia filed a lawsuit against BBK Group member Oppo, alleging that it violated 5G technology patents. The court ruled in favor of Nokia and demanded that BBK pay the license fee. Thinking that the fee was too high, BBK stopped selling 5G smartphones in Germany. Despite the appeal, the Court of Appeal sided with Nokia. Fortunately, the problems were resolved with a patent licensing agreement between the two companies.

Following this agreement, OnePlus, owned by BBK brands, re-entered the European market. Tipster Max Jambor found that the OnePlus Open foldable is available on the OnePlus Germany site as well as on the OnePlus 12 and OnePlus 12R pre-order pages. Meanwhile, Oppo and Vivo’s German websites still display a message that their products are not currently available. However, this situation is expected to change soon and sales of these brands will begin.

The agreement brought significant benefits to both companies. While Nokia saw an increase in patent revenues, Oppo, OnePlus, Realme and Vivo also laid the foundations for a return to the European market. Although Apple has a dominant position in the USA, its share in the EU market is 28%, meaning 72% of the population prefers Android. The region where half a billion people live is an important market. Before the trouble with Nokia, BBK had a 20% share of the EU smartphone market. Now this market share is expected to increase even further.