Patent Dispute Litigation Against Ford Motor Company in Germany

As part of a lawsuit involving the infringement of wireless technology patents, the German court banned the nationwide sale and production of Ford cars with internet connectivity.

The lawsuit filed by Japan's national patent licensing firm, IP Bridge, on behalf of 8 owners of 4G mobile communications patents, was concluded in the Munich District court of Germany. The Munich Court ruled that Ford Motor Company could not sell or manufacture vehicles in Germany unless the holder of wireless technology patents reached an agreement with the plaintiffs. The decision, which is subject to appeal, could be implemented within two weeks if giant auto company Ford fails to reach a settlement with the plaintiffs. US-based automaker Ford, in its statement on the subject, stated that the reason for the lawsuit was the licensing of standard basic patents for long-term evolution (LTE) networks. In the statement, it was stated that since the written decision of the German court has not been taken yet, an evaluation will not be made.