HTC may be forced to exit German market by IPCom

Further supporting the Android Community amateur legal opinion that German courts are full of dunkoffs, IPCom patent injunction against HTC has been held up in that country. The initial ruling was made two years ago, with HTC almost immediately appealing. Now the original ruling has been upheld, and HTC will be forced to either capitulate to IPCom demands or halt sales in Germany.

The patent in question has to do with low-level 3G technologies that many consider absolutely essential. The ruling sets up a dangerous precedent essentially any phone maker or carrier operating in Germany may have to bow before IPCom, a firm made up exclusively of patent holdings think of it as a corporate patent troll. The company is already suing European arms of Vodafone and T-Mobile for the same technology, and in Germany at least, this precedent means they're likely to win. You can dive into the legalese over at FOSS Patents.