On June 19, 2025, the Fuzhou Intermediate People's Court granted VoiceAge EVS two SEP injunctions against HMD Global Oy, with case numbers (2023) Min 01 Min Chu 311 and (2023) Min 01 Min Chu 312. The court found that all 67 Nokia-branded mobile phones in question implemented the EVS standard, and the patents in question covered the relevant 3GPP technical specifications. HMD's FRAND (fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory licensing) defense was not upheld, as its violation of FRAND licensing obligations led to the failure of licensing negotiations.

These injunctions are conditional. HMD must reach a licensing agreement within two months of the two rulings taking effect. If no agreement is reached, HMD must cease production and sales of the 67 models in question in China. However, if HMD appeals to the Supreme People's Court (SPC) by July 28, 2025, the injunctions will not take effect immediately. If the appeal upholds the original ruling, the injunctions will take effect approximately one year later.

This is not the first time China has issued SEP injunctions; previously, companies such as Sony and Samsung have also been subject to such injunctions.

The dispute between HMD and VoiceAge EVS dates back to 2019, when VoiceAge EVS filed multiple patent infringement lawsuits against HMD, a mobile phone manufacturer, in the Mannheim Regional Court and the Munich Regional Court.

Between July 2021 and May 2022, the Munich Regional Court and the Mannheim Regional Court issued six rulings against HMD, all of which found HMD guilty of infringement and imposed injunctions. HMD appealed the aforementioned rulings.

In 2022, HMD filed an antitrust complaint against VoiceAge EVS with the European Commission, aiming to prompt regulatory authorities to address issues such as excessive standardization, open standard requirements, and offers and actions that clearly violate the FRAND principles (HMD withdrew this complaint on May 5, 2025). Meanwhile, litigation between HMD and VoiceAge EVS is proceeding simultaneously in Brazil, the United States, and Germany.

In April 2024, the European Commission intervened as amicus curiae in HMD's antitrust complaint against VoiceAge EVS and repeatedly clarified its understanding and application of the licensing negotiation framework established in the “Huawei v. ZTE” case in its opinion.

On October 30 of the same year, the Munich Higher Regional Court issued a legal opinion on the VoiceAge EVS v. HMD case (Case No.: 6 U 3824/22 Kart), for the first time proposing the guarantee system as one of the core rules of the FRAND defense.

On March 20, 2025, the Sixth Civil Division of the Munich Higher Regional Court formally issued its second-instance judgment in the VoiceAge EVS v. HMD case (Case No.: 6 U 3824/22 Kart), confirming the “guarantee prior” rule as the core review standard for the FRAND defense. Subsequently, HMD filed an appeal with the German Federal Supreme Court (Bundesgerichtshof).