Motorola Wins German Suit against Apple
Germany’s Manheim Regional Court has handed down a decision in the case of Motorola Mobility v. Apple, finding the latter party guilty of patent infringement. The ruling that Apple has violated the intellectual property of Motorola by infringing upon a “core cellular communications patents related to data packet transfer technology (GPRS)” with the iPhone is enough to warrant an injunction against the sale of products from the Cupertino-based tech behemoth, though this is likely not how the case will be resolved. Instead, expect the two parties to come to some sort of licensing agreement that should see a hefty sum of money pushed Motorola’s way. Before that happens, Apple will likely attempt to appeal the verdict. Here is Moto’s press statement:
German Court Rules in Favor of Motorola Mobility in Apple Litigation
Court grants Motorola Mobility’s requests for injunction and damagesLIBERTYVILLE, Ill., Dec. 9, 2011 – Motorola Mobility Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: MMI) (“Motorola Mobility”) today announced that the court in Manheim, Germany (the “Court”) has ruled that Apple’s (NASDAQ: AAPL) European sales company, Ireland-based Apple Sales International, is infringing one of Motorola Mobility’s core cellular communications patents related to data packet transfer technology (GPRS) through its sales of the iPhone and iPad devices. The Court granted Motorola Mobility’s requests for an injunction and damages.
“We are pleased with the court’s ruling. Today’s decision validates Motorola Mobility’s efforts to enforce its patents against Apple’s infringement,” said Scott Offer, senior vice president and general counsel of Motorola Mobility. “Motorola Mobility has worked hard over the years to build an industry-leading intellectual property portfolio that is respected by the telecommunications industry, and we are proud to leverage this portfolio to create differentiated innovations that enhance the user experience. 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 U.S. and around the world are critical to our business. We have been negotiating with Apple and offering them reasonable licensing terms and conditions since 2007, and will continue our efforts to resolve our global patent dispute as soon as practicable.”