Uber Technologies has been ordered to stop operating its UberPop ride-sharing service in Germany or pay a fine, according to a German court. But the ban could be short lived, PC World reported on Tuesday.
If Uber violates the injunction it could be fined up to 250,000 Euros, about $328,000, or its director could be imprisoned for up to six months.
The Frankfurt Regional Court granted taxi association Taxi Deutschland a preliminary injunction forbidding UberPop about a week ago, according to court documents published by a German newswire.
But Uber seems to not want to listen to the ban and said that "Uber will continue its operations and will offer Uberpop ridesharing services via its app throughout Germany," an Uber spokesman said in an email to PC Mag on Tuesday.
Uber smartphone app users access UberPop to order rides from private drivers using their own vehicles, often at prices far below what is charged for traditional taxis. The court decided that Uber violates Germany's Passenger Transport Act because it mediates for people who don't hold a permit to transport people commercially.
The ban doesn't affect Uber's more expensive Uberblack service in Germany that uses professional drivers. The cheaper ride-sharing service has been a big focus in Europe, especially with consumers in Germany, according to the Wall Street Journal.
A preliminary injunction against Uber is in place in the country since the verdict, according to a court spokesman. At the moment, Uber can't mediate rides, he said.
But Uber plans to appeal the case, meaning the ban may only be in effect for a couple of days, a company spokesman told PC Mag on Tuesday.
The car service company can ask the court to suspend the preliminary injunction until the appeal is heard. A decision whether to suspend the injunction or not usually takes about one or two days from the moment the request is filed.
