A Tokyo district court has prohibited Google from selling its Pixel 7 range of smartphones throughout Japan after it was found to have infringed a patent relating to the LTE modem contained in its Pixel devices. The decision poses a threat to Google’s growing presence in the Japanese smartphone market, having recently overtaken Samsung and Xiaomi to be the second largest supplier with a 5.81% market share – though it still pales in comparison to Apple’s dominant 62.46% share.
The Claimant, Pantech, alleged Google had utilised LTE modem technology (which manages communication between Pixel devices and mobile towers) identical to its own without a licence and therefore had infringed its patent. The Court agreed with Pantech and ordered the nationwide ban on sales of the Pixel 7 series smartphones.
The Pixel 7 ban alone does not appear sufficient to derail Google’s growth in Japan. However, if the ban is extended to other Pixel models, like the Pixel 8 and Pixel 9, it could seriously impede Google’s momentum, with the tech giant due to launch its new Pixel 10 model in the coming months.
From Pantech’s perspective, this is yet another demonstration of the importance of protecting your intellectual property by obtaining registrations in respect of any patents, designs and trade marks (and copyright where registration is available).
If you have any questions on the above, feel free to contact a member of the team at 0191 281 4000 or alternatively at legal@mcdanielslaw.com.
