Xiaomi devices are relatively new in the Nigerian market as they were introduced just last year. They have been met with mixed reactions and their success might be short lived. Why?
Well, last year, at almost the same time as Xiaomi, another company called Mi-fone also entered the Nigerian market and decided to patent the Mi brand. This makes it illegal for Xiaomi, their distributors and affiliates to sell any device that has the Mi name in it(which is practically all their devices) for as long as the case is in court. I haven’t seen or used any of these Mi-fones, but they better be damn good for them to pull a stunt like this.
One thing I still don’t get is the fact that Xiaomi was existent before this Mi-fone thingy, so why was the patent granted? Any lawyers in the house?! Oh, one more thing that is bugging me is: What if I had a Xiaomi device to sell? I meant resell, would I be held in contempt for court?
This law suit was crucially timed as the Mi 5 was supposed to hit stores anytime soon but obviosly the launch is going to be delayed a little or a lot longer – depending on how long this law suit lasts (Apple vs Samsung comes to mind).
Personally, I do hope this lawsuit doesn’t stand because Xiaomi was showing a lot of promise and potential. As the suit progresses, we’ll keep you informed, so do stay tuned for updates (subscribing is the surest method of staying updated).