A legal roadblock has emerged for German gamers eyeing Acer or Asus gaming rigs, as a Munich court has temporarily halted direct sales from both brands. The ruling stems from a patent dispute involving Nokia, which alleges infringement on three H.265 (HEVC) video codec patents by Acer, Asus, and previously Hisense.
While the injunction applies only to direct sales—retailers can still stock and sell Acer and Asus products—the move adds friction for consumers. Acer has clarified that non-PC products, including monitors and e-scooters, remain unaffected. The company is also counter-suing Nokia in Munich over wireless communication technology, complicating the legal landscape.
This isn’t isolated to Germany. The UK High Court granted Acer and Asus interim licenses in December, but Nokia has filed a separate lawsuit in the U.S. over its Standard Essential Patents (SEPs). Hisense, the third defendant, settled earlier this year after reaching a licensing agreement with Nokia.
The broader impact extends beyond patents. Asus recently launched an internal review of its AM5 motherboards following reports of compatibility issues with AMD’s Ryzen 7 9800X3D—a CPU prized for gaming performance. Some users have reported instability or even hardware failure when pairing the 9800X3D with certain motherboards, raising questions about long-term reliability.
For now, German buyers should check with authorized retailers, as the injunction doesn’t block third-party sales. Nokia’s legal strategy—targeting multiple regions and defendants—suggests this dispute could drag on, leaving both consumers and manufacturers in limbo.
