The Xiaomi M3 smartphone
Rising Chinese consumer electronics player Xiaomi has been blocked by an Indian court from importing its smartphones into India.
The High Court in New Delhi has forbidden the manufacturer from selling its devices in the sub-continent after Ericsson India filed a case.
The ex parte order prevents Xiaomi from selling, advertising, manufacturing or importing devices that infringe on patents held by Ericsson.
The Times of India reported it is not clear whether the ban affects all Xiaomi smartphones or just specific devices that violate the patents.
Ericsson has also won judgments against other local India-based phone makers, including Intex, Gionee and Micromax.
In the case of Micromax, the High Court ordered the company to pay a royalty to Ericsson that amounts to 1pc of the selling prices of its devices.
Xiaomi has in the space of four short years grown to become the world’s fourth largest manufacturer of smartphones. Investors include Temasek Holdings, IDG Capital, Qiming Venture Partners, and mobile processor maker Qualcomm.
Xiaomi has evolved from making phones to include tablet computers, wireless routers, smart TVs, set-top boxes, fitness bands, air purifiers and cloud storage services.
It sells exclusively online rather than in physical stores and the company eschews traditional advertising, relying instead on social media to promote its products.
