Asus and Acer Restore German Websites After Patent Dispute, But Key Products Still Unavailable

German versions of the Asus and Acer websites have returned online following a patent dispute that temporarily took them offline late last week, though key product categories remain unavailable to customers in Germany.

Website Restoration With Limitations

The German websites for both major PC manufacturers are now accessible, but with significant restrictions. Asus has restored most of its German website functionality, including support pages where customers can download drivers, BIOS updates, and other materials. However, the company has removed laptop and desktop sections from its main navigation, effectively making these product categories inaccessible through the official German portal.

Acer's German website displays a maintenance message but provides a link to its German support page. The company's online store has also returned, though with a substantially reduced inventory.

Product Availability Impact

Both companies have confirmed they will no longer offer direct sales of products that infringe on Nokia's patents in Germany. This restriction specifically affects laptops and desktops, as these devices carry High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) support, which is at the center of the patent dispute.

Interestingly, components like GPUs remain unaffected by the injunction, suggesting the dispute focuses on integrated HEVC capabilities rather than discrete graphics processing units.

Nokia's HEVC Patent Dispute

The legal conflict centers on Nokia's ownership of patents related to the HEVC standard, also known as H.265. While Nokia gained fame in the early 2000s for its mobile phone dominance, this dispute involves video compression technology that has become standard in modern computing devices.

A German court ruled that Asus, Acer, and TV brand Hisense must purchase licenses to continue selling and importing devices with HEVC support in Germany. The injunction was issued as a temporary measure, leading to an immediate suspension of sales following the court's ruling.

Customer Support and Future Updates

Despite the product availability limitations, both companies have emphasized their commitment to existing customers in Germany. Acer's website message assures customers that "you will, of course, continue to receive future software updates" for products currently in use, even if those specific models are no longer listed on the German website.

Retailers appear unaffected by the injunction at this time, meaning customers may still be able to purchase impacted products through third-party vendors, though official channels remain restricted.

Companies' Legal Response

Both Asus and Acer have indicated they are pursuing further legal action to resolve the dispute. Asus stated it is "evaluating and pursuing further legal action to reach a fair resolution as soon as possible," while Acer said it is "reviewing additional legal options in order to reach a fair solution as quickly as possible."

The restoration of website functionality, particularly support services, represents a partial victory for German customers who were left without access to critical resources during the outage. However, the unavailability of laptops and desktops through official channels continues to impact both consumer and business customers in the German market.

Market Implications

This dispute highlights the complex intersection of patent law, international trade, and consumer electronics. The fact that a video compression standard patent can effectively block the sale of entire categories of computing devices in a major European market demonstrates the significant leverage that patent holders can wield in the technology sector.

The situation also underscores the challenges faced by PC manufacturers in navigating intellectual property rights across different jurisdictions, particularly in markets with strong patent enforcement like Germany.

As the legal proceedings continue, German consumers and businesses may need to seek alternative purchasing channels or consider products from manufacturers not affected by the injunction. The resolution of this dispute could have broader implications for how HEVC technology is licensed and implemented across the PC industry.

The restoration of website functionality provides some relief to affected customers, but the core issue of product availability remains unresolved as both companies continue their legal challenges against Nokia's patent claims.