Handsets maker OnePlus to move court against ban in India

After the Delhi High Court delivered its verdict banning the Chinese smartphone company OnePlus from operating in India, the company has  decided to fight back and is now readying for a legal battle, Northern Voices Online.

The ban came after Indian smartphone brand Micromax moved court to get OnePlus devices banned. The reason given by Micromax was that it had earlier signed an exclusive deal with CyanogenMod.

The order came in a suit filed by Micromax that sought to restrain OnePlus from infringing the exclusive rights it had acquired by an ''ambient services and application distributions agreement'' with US-based software developing company Cyanogen.

Cyanogen, which creates aftermarket Android-based firmware became popular with the OnePlus One phone launched earlier this year. However, days earlier OnePlus One's much anticipated India launch, Cyanogen and Micromax inked a deal making the Cyanogenmod OS exclusive to the Indian manufacturer here.

According to reports, Micromax was now getting ready to launch its new YU brand today in Delhi with CyanogenMod.

In the suit filed against OnePlus, Micromax stated, ''Despite such knowledge (about the Micromax-Cyanogen partnership), OnePlus sought to infringe upon such exclusive rights by launching its new brand of handsets, namely, OnePlus One in India on 2nd December, 2014 loaded with Cyanogen's operating system.''

Vikas Agarwal, the country head of OnePlus, told the media that it was evaluating all legal options to continue operations in India.

But the company made it clear that it would no longer sell OnePlus One with CyanogenMod in India.
 
''In accordance with a judgment passed by the Delhi High Court, we will no longer be producing the OnePlus One with CyanogenMod to be sold in India. We are still fully committed to serving our users in the region and, in light of this decision, are working to find a solution that will allow us to continue operations as soon as possible,'' said an official statement from OnePlus.

The Shenzen-based startup said it regrets ''the inconvenience this causes to OnePlus fans in India who have patiently waited for the opportunity to purchase the One''.

At the OnePlus One launch earlier this month, OnePlus co-founder and director of Global, Carl Pei told The Indian Epxress that the company was surprised by Cyanogen's move as the two companies had worked together for the India launch.

He added, the company would now introduce a new OS by tomorrow which would be closer to pure Android.