A court in Frankfurt ruled that ride-sharing service Uber is prohibited from operating in Germany. Uber's fought hard battles in many cities before, but a country-wide ban is new. The ruling that came last week is a temporary measure before a full court case about the service's legality plays out in the coming weeks.
German taxi industry group Taxi Deutschland is pleased with the court's ruling, describing Uber as a form of "locust share-economy" (ouch) and that customer ratings and reviews from their smartphones should not replace actual official industry accreditation.
Uber responded on its blog in its particularly feisty fashion, saying that "trying to limit people's choice doesn't ever seem like a good idea". However, it was the idea behind the recent lawsuit filed by Taxi Deutschland in Frankfurt.
"We believe innovation and competition is good for everyone - riders and drivers, everyone wins. You can't put the brakes on progress."
As Uber fights for its existence in the courts, though, it will continue providing rides to the Berliners and others who need them-even though it could face a €250,000 fine per ride. The service's directors could also face potential jail time, but Uber is calling the ban unenforceable and is being extremely vocal in its choice to continue to provide rides.