Google Pixel 7 Series banned: Will Pixel 8 and 9 be next?

The Tokyo District Court has banned Google Pixel 7 and Google Pixel 7 Pro in Japan because it found that Google was violating the patent that defines the standard essential feature of the 4G LTE technology owned by the South Korean company Pantech. The ruling also prohibits the promotion, importation and even display of these machines in the country. It is the first case in Japan when a product has been recalled because its manufacture infringed a standard essential patent. Read further to know all details about the Google Pixel 7 series.

Google Pixel 7 Series: What is the patent controversy?

The court case revolves around patented technology regarding the sending of an acknowledgement signal (ACK) between receiving and sending devices and base stations, which is essential in the articulation of a 4G LTE network. Pantech, however a company that is no longer present on the smartphone hardware market, owns a number of critical telecoms-related patents and accused Google of infringing this technology by failing to license it. The verdict went to Pantech because according to the court, the technology was not used by Google in accordance with Japanese laws on patent and further accused the company of an insincere attitude during the proceedings which added to this harsh decision.

Google Pixel 7 Series: Are Pixel 8, Pixel 9, and future models at risk?

Although the current ban covers Pixel 7 models only, Pantech has sought an expansion further, to the newer models such as the Pixel 8, Pixel 9 which are yet to be phased out in Japan. The company has gone further to request that all Pixel devices be banned by the Japanese customs completely. Depending on how the courts will proceed, new models that will come in the form of Pixel 7a and new Pixel 10 might also be banned, which could severely damage not only Google's plans to make hardware a key target in one of its most valuable international markets.

Conclusion

This decision is very bad news to Google considering that the Pixel brand has just taken second place as the most favoured smartphone series in Japan: competing with the iPhone of Apple Inc. It might stop the delivery and sale of future Pixel devices in Japan as long as Google and Pantech do not find a solution to the dispute or a way around it.

Disclaimer: The information regarding the gadgets/devices listed in the table and article has been sourced from various secondary sources. For detailed product specifications, please refer to the brand sources.