These Pixels are banned in one of Google's biggest markets, and more could follow

The Google Pixel line is among the most popular phone brands in Japan, being ranked in the top three for 2024. However, trouble is brewing as a series of Google phones has just been banned in the market.

ET News and Mlex report that Pantech has successfully won a court battle in Japan over Google’s patent infringement. This legal victory means that the Pixel 7 series can no longer be sold in the market.

The Japanese court found that Google infringed on Pantech’s standard-essential patents. These patents are key to smartphones and are typically licensed under FRAND (fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory) terms. The patent at the center of the suit relates to “control signal mapping” technology used in LTE networks.

According to ET News, a major reason why the court ruled in favor of a sales ban was Google’s “insincere and uncooperative attitude.”

More Pixel phones to be banned in Japan?

It should go without saying that the Pixel 7 series is almost three years old and has since been succeeded by the Pixel 8 and Pixel 9 lines. So Google is highly unlikely to see a sales hit in Japan as a result of this ruling.

However, Pantech has also filed a sales injunction lawsuit against the Pixel 8 and Pixel 9 series. If this sales ban is granted, it would undoubtedly have a far bigger impact on Google’s bottom line in the region. This would be a particularly large blow for Google as it’s been among the top three players in Japan for a while now. Counterpoint Research also noted that Japan beat the US for Pixel shipments back in Q1 2023.

Pantech was a major player in the late 2000s and early 2010s, but it became a casualty during these early smartphone years. Instead, fellow Korean brands LG and Samsung became significantly more successful. The company has since been acquired and is now a “patent monetization business.” It’s aggressively gone after major companies, earning legal wins over OnePlus and Pokemon Go developer Niantic. It’s also settled with smartphone brand BLU.