Motorola Mobility welcomes ITC ruling against Apple in patent suit

Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. on Friday welcomed a ruling from the U.S. International Trade Commission that denied patent-infringement allegations raised by Apple Inc.

The ruling comes after Motorola filed its own complaints of patent infringement against Apple in late 2010, alleging that Apple's iPhone, iPad, iTouch and some Macintosh computers illegally used its own technology. Apple later responded with a countersuit against Motorola.

On Friday, Motorola Mobility said the ITC's administrative law judge ruled in its favor in an initial determination, finding no violation for any of the three patents listed in Apple's suit.

A spokeswoman for Apple declined to comment.The ruling represents another setback for Apple, which has been tangling in courts with Motorola and other prominent device makers using Google Inc.'s Android platform. The Cupertino, Calif. company has accused the manufacturers of violating features that Apple popularized with its iPhone and iPad tablet computer.

The ITC is a crucial battleground for many technology companies because it has the ability to bar imports if it finds manufacturers guilty.

Google, meanwhile, is completing its acquisition of Motorola Mobility, a move that further blurs the competitive landscape among software and hardware companies. Motorola Mobility's patent portfolio is seen as a major driver of Google's roughly $12.5 billion buyout of the company.

Motorola has also separately accused Apple's European sales arm of infringing one of its core cellular communications patents related to data packet transfer technology through iPhone and iPad sales.

Apple said last month it intended to appeal a German court's ruling in favor of Motorola Mobility in that case.
Motorola and Apple shares closed Friday at $38.45 and $419.81, respectively, and were little changed after hours.
 

Source: Total Telecom

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