Apple cleared of infringing Motorola patents, avoids U.S. import ban

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
The U.S. International Trade Commission on Friday completed its review of a Motorola complaint from April, ruling against an import ban on Apple's iPhone and iPad after finding the devices do not infringe on certain wireless technology patents owned by the Google subsidiary.

Although not as substantial as Friday's Apple v. Samsung outcome, the six-member Commission at the top of the ITC cleared Apple of infringing on three declared standards-essential Motorola patents, but held off on another as it completed its review of an earlier initial determination, reports FOSS Patents' Florian Mueller.

As for the fourth patent, a non-standards-essential property, the ITC remanded investigation to Administrative Law Judge Thomas Pender, who initially found one of the claims indefinite and ruled it not violated. As noted by Mueller, the reversal of Judge Pender's initial determination could result in an import ban, though any judgment would again be subject to Commission review.

Motorola


At issue is Motorola's 2001 U.S. Patent No. 6,246,862 for a "Sensor controlled user interface for portable communication device." The patent describes a touch-based interface that can be disabled when a device comes into close proximity with a user. Apple employs similar technology in the iPhone by using an IR sensor to distinguish when the handset is near a user's head, thereby disallowing unintended touch events by disabling the unit's screen.

Friday's ruling comes just days after Motorola filed a second ITC complaint against Apple claiming infringement on seven non-standards-essential patents involving email management, message syncing and voice control services, among others. Of the asserted patents only one, a multi-device message syncing invention, has previously been asserted in court.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 111
    adonissmuadonissmu Posts: 1,776member


    now that's what I call Bi winning!

  • Reply 2 of 111


    Oh Google!

  • Reply 3 of 111
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    On the one year anniversary of Jobs stepping down as CEO there are a lot of good news for Apple today.
  • Reply 4 of 111


    $12,500,000,000… ????

  • Reply 5 of 111
    I am based in India were Samsung have used less than stellar tactics, to state that their products are better than Apple.
    I will go for lunch today's usual and sit near to Samsung shop and Manager usually comes out and try's to sell me a Galaxy Tab.
    I will have my iPad ready with news page open, showing the verdict...lol
  • Reply 6 of 111


    Originally Posted by souliisoul View Post

    …Samsung have used less than stellar tactics, to state that their products are better than Apple.


     


    Oh? For example, what have they done?

  • Reply 7 of 111

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    $12,500,000,000… ????



     


    Actually, more like:


     


    -$12,500,000,000...


     


    as opposed to:


     


    +$1,049,000,000... (minus attorneys' fees, of course)

  • Reply 8 of 111


    This has truly turned out to be an Awesome Day!!


     


    I genuinely wish Steve Jobs were still alive to see all this.


     


    I know he would have written something of an Open Letter on Apple's Home Page, expounding on Apple's,   ....and His Vindication,


     


    when he proclaimed in 2007


     


    "We are reinventing the Smartphone"


     


    And


     


    "Boy have we patented it"!!

     

  • Reply 9 of 111


    Originally Posted by Suddenly Newton View Post

    Actually, more like:


     


    -$12,500,000,000...


     


    as opposed to:


     


    +$1,049,000,000... (minus attorneys' fees, of course)



     


    Oh, can you not see the emoji? I probably shouldn't hitch the meaning of my posts on them until everyone is on Mountain/Lion… 


     


    I wonder how few people saw my explosive emoji post in the main Samsung trial thread… 

  • Reply 10 of 111
    drblankdrblank Posts: 3,385member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by souliisoul View Post



    I am based in India were Samsung have used less than stellar tactics, to state that their products are better than Apple.

    I will go for lunch today's usual and sit near to Samsung shop and Manager usually comes out and try's to sell me a Galaxy Tab.

    I will have my iPad ready with news page open, showing the verdict...lol


    Let us know what they say.....

  • Reply 11 of 111
    drblankdrblank Posts: 3,385member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Suddenly Newton View Post


     


    Actually, more like:


     


    -$12,500,000,000...


     


    as opposed to:


     


    +$1,049,000,000... (minus attorneys' fees, of course)



    I think Samsung might have to also pay for Apple's attorney's fees.  I know in California if you sue someone and you win, they can be forced to also pay attorney's fees and court costs. I just don't know how Patent cases work.  I think they do have to pay attorney's fees and court costs. But then again, I'm not an expert, I'm just going by what I know and suspect.

  • Reply 12 of 111
    cpsrocpsro Posts: 3,192member


    Check out news.google.com to see if you don't also believe Google is manipulating the listings in support of its own interests.

  • Reply 13 of 111

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by drblank View Post


    I'm not an expert, I'm just going by what I know ....



    'Experts' usually know. So, I am not following you....

  • Reply 14 of 111

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


     


    Oh, can you not see the emoji? I probably shouldn't hitch the meaning of my posts on them until everyone is on Mountain/Lion… 


     


    I wonder how few people saw my explosive emoji post in the main Samsung trial thread… 



     


    I see a large black rectangle in Snow Leopard. I was wondering about that.

  • Reply 15 of 111
    xrcxxrcx Posts: 117member


    Meanwhile, Google executives cuddle up to each other and watch the notebook with a box of tissues and a tub of ben and jerry's. Fandriods follow suit after their keyboards break from all the angry typing.

  • Reply 16 of 111


    The picture says it all...


     


     


  • Reply 17 of 111


    Originally Posted by Suddenly Newton View Post

    I see a large black rectangle in Snow Leopard. I was wondering about that.


     


    Dang… 


  • Reply 18 of 111
    gtrgtr Posts: 3,231member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by souliisoul View Post



    I am based in India were Samsung have used less than stellar tactics, to state that their products are better than Apple.

    I will go for lunch today's usual and sit near to Samsung shop and Manager usually comes out and try's to sell me a Galaxy Tab.

    I will have my iPad ready with news page open, showing the verdict...lol


     


    Make sure he pays you a good price if you decide to accept one of those things...


     


    <snigger>

  • Reply 19 of 111
    xrcxxrcx Posts: 117member


    Rough day for google, and their obnoxious sub human fan trolls, may they drown in their own tears.

  • Reply 20 of 111
    gtrgtr Posts: 3,231member


    Apple's Day Summary


     


    1. Samsung Patent Infringement:


     



     


    2. Samsung Preliminary Injunction:


     



     


    3. Motorola Infringement:


     



     


    Tune in soon.


     


    Same Bat-time, same Bat-channel...

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