Microsoft Chalks Up Another Patent Win Against Motorola

Motorola just cannot catch a break when it comes to patent suits in Germany. Motorola has already come out as the loser in patent disputes against Microsoft and Apple, and today, Microsoft announced that it has once again secured victory. A German court has found that multiple devices made by Motorola are infringing on a Microsoft patent for technology that allows a keyboard to communicate with an app, and Microsoft asserts that this technology has been built into Android.

That's an assertion that the court agrees with, and you may be wondering why Microsoft has only brought this case against Motorola when there are plenty of other Android manufacturers out there with this tech built into their phones. Motorola and Google are the target of this lawsuit because every other Android manufacturer is paying Microsoft a royalty to use the tech. Since Google refused to pay up, Microsoft took it to court, and now we know the result of that patent suit.

By now, you know the drill: Microsoft posts a bond – $61.4 million in this case – to get the infringing devices banned from sale in Germany. Motorola has the chance to appeal, so the sales ban won't go into effect until the results of that appeal are known. In addition, Google and Motorola will have to pay Microsoft damages, and if Google doesn't want to remove the tech from Android, it will have to begin paying Microsoft a royalty.

When everything is added up, this is Microsoft's third patent win against Motorola in Germany. Motorola has been hit hard in Germany lately, much to what we imagine is Google's chagrin. After all, one of the reasons the search giant bought up Motorola Mobility is so it could access to its extensive patent portfolio. Instead of coming out on top, however, Google has been stuck paying the bill for Motorola's own infringement, so it's hard to believe that the executives at Google are happy at the moment. Stay tuned – we'll bring you more details as they develop.

[via ComputerWorld]