The patent battle between Apple and Google (by way of Motorola) just keeps on going. Apple and Google were set to square off in the courtroom today in Wisconsin over allegations that Motorola's patent licensing practices were unfair. Fortunately -- for our collective sanity, if nothing else -- the case has been thrown out by the federal judge assigned to the suit. A spokeswoman for Google had this to say about Google's patent licensing practices:
"Motorola has long offered licensing to our extensive patent portfolio at a reasonable and non-discriminatory rate in line with industry standards."
The suit was thrown out with prejudice, which means that it is overturned at the trial court level, but you can bet we'll see Apple appeal this decision as soon as possible. Unfortunately, this is likely far from over.
Source: Reuters
Reader comments
Judge throws out Apple lawsuit against Motorola (and Google)
I don't get Apple's stance, they make a ton of money off of Google and likewise Google makes money off of them. This frivolous lawsuit crap needs to be brought to an end.
+9000
Apple only wanted to pay Motorola $1 per device? But when it was Samsung, Apple Demanded $30 per device from Samsung. Yeah Apple get ready to lose a giant chunk.
Karma is a Bitch Apple, and your Reckoning is just beginning!
double
Glad to see my good old Wisconsin helping in the effort to get rid of their nonsense
#corrections
"Overturned" should be "over" according to the source (Reuters).
With prejudice means the case was ruled on based on its merits, and Apple cannot refile for this alleged infraction again. Without merits is usually based on technicalities, thus allowing the plaintiff to refile and get their day in court
Hmm Apple..
Dismissing with prejudice means that Apple does not have permission to file a new amended lawsuit.
But yeah, appeal probably on the way.
Apple is a jerk company.. i dont know suddenly y they have this animosity agaisnt google n companies have Android operating system.. Samsung, HTC, Motoral n Google all have been harassed by Apple. i get it they have huge money reserves, thanx to the tax benefits n huge profit margins they keep on their products. But by doing this they r spoiling their name n reputation they have made. Nobody likes a cry baby who always complain n create problems for others. Be man enough n face it. Only lawyers will profit from it.
The majority of Apple consumers more than likely don't know their business practices, so I highly doubt it would have any effect on their reputation.... unless it happens to go mainstream
It's not sudden. When Jobs was alive, he said that he thought that Android was a complete ripoff of iOS and that Apple would do everything within their means to make Android as unusable as possible. I don't agree with their policies at all, but they've done this consistently for years now.
When the Court saw what Apple offered to pay for the Frand protected patents....case dismissed. That's been the problem all along. Apple sued Samsung to have its products banned from import over some little piss ant feature. Offered pennies on the dollar to license technology vital to a cell phone....being a cell phone. Apple is EVIL.
Yea Apple is so evil thats why FTC is looking to investigate Google on patent abuse.
Actually, this is further evidence that Apple is evil. The FTC is looking to investigate because Apple is complaining. The FTC has a responsibility to investigate all allegations brought to their attention. They'll investigate, see that Motorola/Google have offered the same terms to Apple on licensing that they have offered to others, with Apple countering with pennies on the dollar. Then they'll see that this same case (it's the same issue) was just thrown out incourt and laugh in Apple's face, just like this Judge has.
Hopefully they send Apple a bill for wasting their time on the investigation.
Too bad the article isn't about that.
Because Apple has been filing all these lawsuits claiming Google has been abusing their Frand patents. Fortunately, a Judge with more common sense than Apple...saw through the typical Apple FUD and kicked the bitch under the bus. Apple sued Samsung over rectangles with corners and little piss ant features and claimed that patent infringement should cause Samsung to be barred for import into the US. Apple on the other hand says it would pay anything over a dollar for a FRAND patent that actually makes cell phones able to be cell phones. Check out Judge Richard Posner's opinion in the Apple vs Motorola case. Or the decision by the British high Court in Apple vs. Samsung. That my friend is why APPLE is EVIL.
If I was Google, I'd ban all Apple products from their web search, and from iOS devices. At least for a month, and then see how Apple responds. I'm a vindictive mofo though.
This would do more harm to Google than to Apple. Google has the air of the good guys. They've stood up to China and other nations on censorship of information and made the vast majority of their services available to just about everyone for free, with no bias. Hell, i use just about every Google service out there, and I would give up Google if they started messing with search results.
Funny how Apple has claimed both Motorola AND Samsung are being unfair in licensing essential patents, trying to throw a tantrum when they can't negotiate a deal to their liking. I'm betting everyone else in the industry has been paying the same terms, but Apple is too cheap and greedy.
lol this is essentually tho whole problem in a nutshell. All these people offer fair licensing for the use of these standards and frand patents, but for some reason or another Apple feels that they are the only ones in the world that dont have to pay for the license to use them. Why? No f-ing clue....
Similar to what I read about Samsung ending the deal to sell LCDs to Apple. Apparently Apple wanted to pay less and less every year and Samsung finally said sorry, we are not going to sell to you any cheaper and started phasing them out.
I think its funny how Apple thinks paying Motorola 2.5% is unfair, but Apple wanting to charge Samsung almost 5% is. Motorola has patents that make a cell phone actually work, while all Apple has are design patents, ones that have no affect on a phone actually connecting to networks.
Funny how Apple uses FRAND patents for themselves but never wants to share their patents with anyone.