Nokia wins injunction against HTV over high amplitude microphones in Amsterdam
23 Apr 2013
Nokia has been granted an injunction against HTC in the Netherlands over high amplitude microphones, but the issue does not relate to patents.
However, it comes as bad news for HTC's already-delayed One phone. Nokia was granted an injunction by the Amsterdam district court concerning the technology HTC used in its current flagship. The legal battle concerns a pair of high-amplitude microphones housed within One's aluminum body, which apparently featured the same dual-membrane components as Nokia's Lumia 720.
The Finnish company in a recent application for a preliminary injunction, pointed a finger at ST Microelectronics, which was responsible for manufacturing the microphone for both Nokia and HTC.
According to an unidentified source quoted by endgadget.com, the issue was likely about a breach of an NDA between Nokia and ST Electronics, with the Finnish company asserting that the "microphone components (were) invented by and manufactured exclusively for Nokia."
Meanwhile, HTC in a comment in response to the injunctions said, "HTC is disappointed in the decision. We are considering whether it will have any impact on our business and we will explore alternative solutions immediately."
Nokia said, ''HTC has no license or authorization from Nokia to use these microphones or the Nokia technologies from which they have been developed.''
Nokia has been facing stiff competition from Apple and Google over the past few years with the company having already lost majority of its market share as tech lovers shifted from normal phones to smartphones. Nokia has been late entrant in the smartphone line following Samsung and Apple.
Shares of Nokia were up 13 cents or 4.40 at $3.20, with the stock down 10 per cent last week on lacklustre earnings.
