Xiaomi Technology, which has rapidly grown to be the third-largest smartphone vendor in three years by imitating Apple, is likely to be dragged down by patent violations. The Chinese handset maker was ordered to stop selling smartphones in India, which is considered to be a strategic market.
According to industry sources and major overseas media outlets, the Delhi High Court has ordered Xiaomi to temporarily stop selling its smartphones in India.
This case is related to patent infringements that telecoms equipment maker Ericsson had filed against the Chinese firm, saying, “Xiaomi used our communications technologies, such as the AMR and WCDMA technologies, without paying licensing fees.”
As a result, Xiaomi's rapid growth in India is expected to be put on hold. The company has been hugely successful in the Indian market so far this year, as shown by the fact that it sold out the Mi3, Hongmi 1S, and Hongmi Note only a few seconds after release, totaling more than 1 million units in sales volume.
However, experts are saying that the firm does not have enough related communications technologies or patents. Due to the patent infringement case, Xiaomi is likely to face a bumpy road ahead.