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Nokia scored a major legal victory in Britain on Tuesday after the Court of Appeal halted patent claims brought by Taiwanese electronics groups Acer and Asus, marking another turn in a wider international dispute over video streaming technology.
The Finnish telecommunications company had challenged an earlier High Court decision that said a willing patent holder in Nokia's position would accept a temporary licensing arrangement while judges determined fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory licensing terms, commonly known across the telecoms industry as FRAND conditions.
Appeal judges overturned that position and ordered a permanent stay on the London proceedings, effectively bringing the lawsuits against Nokia to an end before a scheduled summer trial could begin.
A spokesperson for Nokia said hearings expected in June and July would no longer proceed following Tuesday's ruling. Representatives for Acer and Asus did not immediately respond to requests seeking comment on the judgment.
According to the court, Nokia had already offered both companies access to its patented technology under terms that could later be settled through arbitration, removing the need for continued litigation in London.
The dispute is part of a broader series of battles between technology companies over the licensing of video coding patents used in streaming services, smart devices and connected platforms worldwide.
Chinese television manufacturer Hisense had also launched legal action against Nokia in the same matter, though that case was resolved before the appeal was heard.
FRAND disagreements have increasingly fueled multinational court fights in recent years, with judges in Britain and China now able to determine global licensing terms following major rulings issued by their highest courts.
Before the London cases were filed last year, Nokia had already started separate patent actions in the United States, Germany, Brazil and India as the company sought to defend its technology portfolio across several jurisdictions.
Industry analysts say such cross-border disputes have become increasingly common because courts in different countries can influence royalty rates and licensing conditions for products sold globally.
