Acer and Asus shut down support for PC and laptops in wake of patent dispute ruling, drivers and updates inaccessible to existing customers — German website finds a workaround
Source: Tom’s Hardware
Image credit: Getty Images
Background
Both Asus and Acer’s German websites are completely inaccessible, preventing customers from downloading BIOS updates, drivers, or reaching support pages for their hardware. The issue was first reported by Computerbase.de.
Legal dispute
The shutdown stems from a lawsuit filed by Nokia over royalties for the HEVC (H.264) codec. A German court issued an injunction that blocks the two manufacturers from “offering, placing on the market, using, or importing or possessing such devices in Germany.” Germany is the largest consumer computing market in Europe.
In a public statement, Asus claimed that “all after‑sales services in Germany remain fully operational, and existing customers will continue to receive uninterrupted support in full compliance with the current court order,” while also noting that the company is “evaluating and pursuing further legal action to reach a fair resolution as soon as possible.”
Effect on support and website availability
Despite Asus’s statement, the complete removal of the German sites contradicts the claim of uninterrupted after‑sales service. It is unclear whether email support has also been disabled, as it cannot be located on the blocked sites. The geo‑blocking appears to affect even German users who try to access the U.S. version of the Asus site, which seems excessive.
Comparison with previous cases
Similar patent‑related injunctions have affected other manufacturers:
- Oppo/OnePlus – sales halted in Germany after a court ruling.
- Vivo – German online store closed.
- Lenovo – faced comparable legal pressure.
In those instances, the companies’ websites remained online, unlike the total shutdown observed for Asus and Acer.
Sources
- Computerbase.de – Access despite block on Asus.de and Acer.de
- Tom’s Hardware – Acer and Asus halt PC and laptop sales in Germany amid HEVC codec patent dispute
- Asus public statement on patent dispute with Nokia
- MarketDataForecast – Europe personal computers market
- GSM Arena – Oppo and OnePlus stop sales in Germany after court sides with Nokia
- Telegrafi – Vivo Germany closes its online store