Sharp Corp wins patent infringement suit against Daimler

Sharp Corp, a Japanese industrial electronics, said on Friday it has won a patent infringement lawsuit against German automaker Daimler in Germany, a ruling that could allow them to enforce a sales ban against the automaker.

A district court in Munich ruled that mobile communications technology used in vehicles of Daimler violates a patent owned by Sharp, the electronics company said.

A source knowledgeable about the matter said Sharp can enforce a sales ban against the automaker if it posts 5.5 million euros ($6.5 million) as a guarantee to cover any damages in the event the ban is successfully appealed.

Daimler has filed a nullity action against the patent in a separate lawsuit before Germany’s federal patent court in Munich.

Nokia won backing from a German court in a similar patent fees lawsuit against Daimler over mobile communications technology in August.

Sharp, a unit of Taiwan’s Foxconn, has also taken legal action against the Japanese unit of Tesla Inc, seeking an injunction to halt imports of some electric vehicles to Japan.