Mercedes-Benz Lost a Patent to Japan’s Sharp

Mercedes-Benz has just launched a new S-Class, and while there are many things to talk about the flagship sedan, one of the talking points we’ve noticed as far as the release goes is the bevy of screens found inside the cabin. Of course, more screens, more technology, more mobile technology.
 

There is just one problem, though – Daimler has lost a patent case over mobile technology in its home country in Germany. And it’s not just one patent case Daimler has lost over the past three weeks; this is the second one in a row.
 
For those who missed the beat, Daimler lost to Nokia in a patent dispute last August. And while the Finnish company is yet to enforce the ruling on that lost case, Mercedes’ parent company is in for another threat by losing a similar tech patent case – this time with Japan’s Sharp.
 
As reported by Automotive News, Daimler’s case with Sharp is similar to Nokia. Daimler has been using mobile technology in its cars (though not specified which specifically) without acquiring licenses from the patent owners. There’s a “pool of patent owners” – mostly technology companies – that are fighting for their patent rights. For now, Nokia and Sharp have won against the automotive giant.
 
As with the ruling with Nokia, Sharp can impose a sales ban on Mercedes-Benz in Germany. But Daimler isn’t letting up the fight yet; the German marque is filing for an appeal. This means Sharp should post collateral of 5.5 billion euros ($6.5 billion) before it could impose the ruling – to serve as a security deposit so that if the appealing party would win the case, the amount will cover for the losses.
 
Of note, the required collateral for Nokia’s case was quite hefty at 7 billion euros ($8.3 billion). The tech company hasn’t posted the amount yet, therefore the sales ban ruling on Daimler hasn’t been enforced at the time of this writing.