Google has been hit with a major setback in Japan after a Tokyo court banned the sale of its Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro smartphones, ruling the company infringed on a 4G LTE-related patent held by South Korean firm Pantech.
The patent dispute centres around an “acknowledgement signal” technology used to maintain stable LTE communications between smartphones and base stations.
Despite no longer manufacturing phones, Pantech retains a portfolio of standard-essential patents (SEPs) and claims Google used this protected tech without a licence.
The court cited Google’s “insincere attitude” during proceedings, noting the company refused to pay royalties or disclose sales data. That conduct influenced the severity of the outcome which resulted in a full import, sales, and advertising ban rather than a settlement.
While Google no longer officially sells the Pixel 7 series in Japan, some models including the 7a, remain available through carriers.
The ruling may have broader implications, with Pantech, alongside patent monetisation firm IdeaHub, already targeting newer Pixel 8 and Pixel 9 models in ongoing litigation.
This could derail Google’s momentum in Japan, a market where Pixel phones recently overtook Samsung and Xiaomi to become the second most popular brand behind Apple.
Japan also led global Pixel shipments in early 2023, according to Counterpoint Research.
Google faces a few options. It can appeal the ruling, seek a licensing deal, or modify future devices to avoid infringing the patent.
The Pixel 10 is expected to launch on August 13 at the Made by Google event, with pre-orders opening the next day and retail availability on August 20.
