Xbox violates Motorola patents – judge

A US International Trade Commission judge, David Shaw, has ruled that Microsoft’s Xbox 360 console violated four Motorola Mobility patents, a ruling that could see shipments of the console to the States banned. Another judge has also found that Motorola Mobility is infringing on one of Microsoft’s patents (out of a possible seven).

Shaw’s ruling still needs to be reviewed but it seems likely that Microsoft will settle with Motorola Mobility rather than face a ban on importing the consoles to the US. The suit came about after Motorola Mobility filed a countersuit to Microsoft claiming that Mobility’s Android phones were infringing M$ patents.

A Motorola Mobility spokewoman said, “Microsoft continues to infringe Motorola Mobility’s patent portfolio, and we remain confident in our position. This case was filed in response to Microsoft’s litigate-first patent attack strategy, and we look forward to the full commission’s ruling in August.“

A Microsoft statement on the ruling said, “Today’s recommendation by the administrative law judge is the first step in the process leading to the commission’s final ruling. We remain confident the commission will ultimately rule in Microsoft’s favor in this case and that Motorola will be held to its promise to make its standard-essential patents available on fair and reasonable terms.“

Aren’t you glad that nobody is fighting patent battles on your doorstep?

Source : GamesIndustry.biz