Context:
- Cellular standard-essential patent (SEP) enforcement against vehicle makers started with passenger cars, then expanded to trucks last year when Acer and Longhorn affiliate L2 Mobile sued PACCAR in Germany and the U.S. (July 19, 2025 ip fray article), a fight that appears to have ended with PACCAR taking an Avanci license (April 15, 2026 ip fray article). The Munich I Regional Court’s 7th Civil Chamber, which hears most of these cases, recently published new FRAND guidelines that found Avanci’s $32-per-vehicle 5G rate to be fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (August 18, 2026 ip fray article).
- John Deere is the world’s largest maker of agricultural equipment, and its newer machines increasingly rely on built-in cellular connectivity. Acer, better known as a laptop and device maker, also holds a substantial cellular patent portfolio and has used it before against carmakers and truck maker PACCAR, both directly and through the Avanci pool. Acer has asserted 4G SEPs against PACCAR in Munich and the Eastern District of Texas and has also litigated SEPs against Chinese car maker BYD.
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Court and counsel
Courts: Munich I Regional Court 7th Civil Chamber’s Presiding Judge Dr. Oliver Schoen (“Schön”) and Mannheim Regional Court.
Counsel for Acer: Casalonga’s Benjamin Grzimek, together with Dr. Dominik Ho of df-mp.tech (ip fray firm profile).
Counsel for Beijing Jingshi: Taliens’ Dr. Thomas Lynker and Christian Werner.