Apple Loses to Motorola in Germany Over Patent

0
By Sara Kim , Christian Post Contributor
December 11, 2011|7:23 pm

Motorola won a preliminary injunction against Apple on Friday after complaining that the Cupertino, Calif.-based company had failed to license one of its wireless intellectual properties.

According to Tech Crunch, a German court ruled that all iPhones up to the iPhone 4S and both 3G iPads infringe on a Motorola patent (European Patent 1010336) that covers a “method for performing countdown function during a mobile-originated transfer for a packet radio system.”

The BBC reports that now Motorola could try to make Apple remove the feature from its products or stop sales in Germany altogether.

If Motorola did choose to file a sales injunction against Apple, Apple would be able to receive €100 million bond, which would cover any damages incurred during the injunction, should Apple get this ruling overturned down the road.

Motorola Mobility’s senior vice-president and general counsel, Scott Offer, said, “We will continue to take all necessary steps to protect our intellectual property, as the company's patent portfolio and licensing agreements with companies both in the US and around the world are critical to our business.”

In a statement, Apple said, “We're going to appeal the court's ruling right away. Holiday shoppers in Germany should have no problem finding the iPad or iPhone they want."

Follow us

Advertisement
Top Stories

Most Undocumented Immigrants Are Christians from Latin America and Caribbean

An estimated 83 percent, or 9.2 million, of the 11.1 million people living in the United States illegally are Christians from Latin America and the Caribbean, according to a recent study by the Pew Research Center's Forum on ...

Tornadoes Kill 1, Injure Dozens in US Midwest; More Storms Likely on Monday

Tornadoes swept through five states in the U.S. ...

Greg Laurie: 4 Words That Can Change Your Marriage

Pastor Greg Laurie of Harvest Church in Southern ...

Supreme Court to Hear Case Regarding Prayer in Government Meetings

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case regarding public prayer in government meetings which, depending on the verdict, could greatly alter the future of public religious expression in the United States.

Associated Press CEO Blasts Justice Department for Phone Records Probe

The president and CEO of The Associated Press, ...