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It may not be on the same scale as some recent court victories, but Google-owned mobile maker Motorola has won a patent case against Microsoft.
The regional court in Mannheim, Germany, ruled that Moto didn’t infringe a Microsoft patent which lets apps work across different handsets, Reuters reports. The patent means developers don’t have to write separate codes for each handset, saving time and development costs.
But Microsoft was quick to point out its previous victories against Motorola. “This decision does not impact multiple injunctions Microsoft has already been awarded and has enforced against Motorola products in Germany,” said David Howard, associate general counsel at Microsoft.
Microsoft has previously won three patent cases against Motorola in Germany, banning some of Moto’s phones from sale as a result. It looked like the Xbox 360 would be banned in Germany because of a dispute between the two, but that was overturned by a San Francisco court last week.
Can’t we all just get along?
Germany has proved the first port of call for any company wanting to ban another’s products on the grounds of patent infringement, because of its relatively cheap and quick court actions. Apple and Motorola have had their fair share of squabbles there, with some Apple products being banned from sale. (Though that decision was quickly overturned.)
Google bought Motorola last year for $12.5 billion, in order to use its vast patent portfolio to fend off legal actions against its Android operating system. But things haven’t been going too smoothly, with Google losing $340 million (£210 million) on severance packages and other fees. As part of the cost-cutting measures, Motorola announced it’s killing off its Webtop software and range of accessories.
What do you make of these court kerfuffles? How is Google handling Motorola since it took over? And should companies try to have others’ products banned? Let me know in the comments, or on Facebook.
