Oppo may not be leaving Europe, but business in Germany is still on hold for now

Late last month, a rumor claimed that Oppo and OnePlus were planning on exiting the European market. The two BBK Electronics-owned companies denied the report and insisted both Oppo and OnePlus remain “committed to all the existing European markets.” This week, however, Oppo clarifies that its business is actually still “on hold” in Germany.

Oppo, whose European headquarters are located in Germany, issued a statement to Andreas Floemer, a writer for German tech publication T3N, regarding the rumors of it leaving Europe (via 9to5Google). The statement confirmed that Oppo is not leaving Germany just yet, though it has paused its business there due to its ongoing dispute with Nokia. The company said it hopes that it will resolve the matters soon, though could not give any specific date.

The phone manufacturer’s recent comments serve to temper what we heard from the company late last month. The initial statement talked optimistically about plans Oppo and OnePlus have for a lineup of products across 2023 in “all the existing European markets.” Those comments failed to directly address the ongoing issues that have been impacting Oppo’s ability to conduct business in Germany.

This is all due to a dispute Nokia has with Oppo, stemming from a patent issue where German courts ruled that the manufacturer used Nokia’s technologies in its devices without a license. The controversy resulted in Oppo and OnePlus losing their right to advertise their products in Germany. In an effort to resolve things, Nokia suggested that Oppo renews the license on fair terms.

Nokia asked for a €2.50 payout per smartphone sold for licensing fees, though German laws would force both companies to enter a worldwide agreement with Nokia. This agreement would force the BBK Electronics-owned brands to pay licensing fees for internationally sold phones. The Finnish company offered Oppo an independent and neutral arbitration, though it wasn’t interested. For now, it’s still unclear how this whole mess might play out.