Technology • Jun 27, 2025

Google Pixel phones face ban in Japan due to patent dispute

Japan has just blocked the sale and import of Google's Pixel 7 phones after a court ruled that Google infringed on a Korean company's 4G tech patent.
The judge wasn't impressed with Google's defense, calling it "insincere," so now the Pixel 7 series is officially off shelves in Japan.

TL;DR

Pantech wants ban to include Pixel 8, Pixel 9

The story isn't over—Pantech, the company behind the patent, now wants the ban to include Google's latest Pixel 8 and even the upcoming Pixel 9.
That could be a big deal for Google in Japan, where Pixels (especially the affordable Pixel 7a) are pretty popular.
For Pantech, this marks a shift from making phones to focusing on enforcing patents and teaming up with firms that help monetize them.