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Chinese walkie-talkie maker Hytera resumes sales of two-way radio products after US court suspends global ban

  • The US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit on Tuesday suspended the global sales injunction against Hytera’s two-way radio products
  • That temporary stay included the further accumulation of US$1-million-per-day fines against Hytera that was earlier ordered by a US District Court

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A global sales ban on its two-way radio products would pose a significant blow to Hytera’s professional wireless communications business. Photo: Hytera
Iris Dengin Shenzhen
Chinese walkie-talkie maker Hytera Communications Corp has resumed global sales and distribution of its two-way radio products after a United States court temporarily lifted an injunction, which barred the company from selling those devices as part of a years-long trade-secrets dispute with rival Motorola Solutions.
The US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit on Tuesday suspended the global sales injunction, worldwide notice requirement and further accumulation of US$1-million-per-day fines against Hytera that was ordered by the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois earlier this month, according to a notice on the Shenzhen-based company’s website.

“The company will work closely with global partners to immediately resume normal business activities and initiate the sale of related products,” Hytera said in a filing to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange.

Hytera’s shares rose by the daily maximum limit of 10 per cent on Wednesday, following the stay of the global sales ban.

Two-way radio products make up the bulk of Hytera’s professional wireless communications business. Its PNC460U smart push-to-talk-over-cellular device is designed for use in hazardous environments like chemical plants, oil refineries and steel mills. Photo: Hytera
Two-way radio products make up the bulk of Hytera’s professional wireless communications business. Its PNC460U smart push-to-talk-over-cellular device is designed for use in hazardous environments like chemical plants, oil refineries and steel mills. Photo: Hytera

The US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on April 2 temporarily enjoined Hytera from the global sales and distribution of its two-way radio products, pending the Chinese firm’s full compliance with the US court’s anti-suit injunction orders. Hytera announced on April 7 that it had suspended sales of those products in compliance with the court’s order.

The products covered by the sales injunction – “including portables, mobiles, base stations and repeaters”, according to the court order – contain two-way radio technology, which is at the centre of Motora Solutions’ trade-secrets and copyright-infringement dispute against Hytera. US telecommunications equipment specialist Motorola Solutions is an independent business from smartphone maker Motorola Mobility, which was acquired by Lenovo Group in 2014.
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