Motorola Patent Ruling Could Lead To US IPhone Ban

Yesterday, the United States International Trade Commission ruled in favor of Motorola regarding a patent infringement that could see the iPhone pulled from US shelves.

Motorola filed claims for four Motorola patents. Yesterday ITC judge Thomas Pender ruled that Apple were infringing one of those patents.

Whilst that’s not a very good success rate on Motorola’s part, it’s still bad news for Apple. The patent involves Motorola 3G and noise cancellation technology, and the technology under scrutiny is used in both the iPhone and the iPad.

Should the ITC decide that the iPhone should face a state-side ban, the case will be tried in front of none other than Barack Obama, and a patent law court.

Both sides are coming across rather confidently about the outcome. In a statement, Apple spokesperson Kristin Huguet said:

“A court in Germany has already ruled that Apple did not infringe on this patent, so we believe we will have a very strong case on appeal”

Meanwhile Motorola, whilst not alluding directly to the case have said:

“We are pleased that the ALJ’s initial determination finds Apple to be in violation of Motorola Mobility’s intellectual property, and look forward to the full commission’s ruling in August. Our commitment to innovation is a primary reason why we are an industry-leader in intellectual property, and our focus continues to be on building on this strong foundation to enhance the user experience.”

Motorola is on something of a roll when it comes to lawsuits at the moment, however it’s important not to undermine the significance of this case. Getting the iPhone banned in the U.S. would be huge. Do you think that could happen? Leave a comment below