SMH: A federal judge in Madison, Wisconsin, on Monday threw
out a suit by Apple claiming that Google subsidiary Motorola Mobility is
seeking unreasonably high license fees for the use of patents on wireless technology.
The suit is part of a world-spanning battle between
Apple and Google, whose Android software powers the smartphones that compete
with Apple's iPhone. Google bought Motorola Mobility, a once pioneering maker
of mobile phones, this summer to gain control of its patents and gain leverage
against Apple in its court battles.
Motorola has been seeking a license fee of 2.25 per
cent of the price of Apple devices that incorporate Wi-Fi or cellular
technologies, including the iPhone and iPod Touch. Motorola holds patents that
are essential to making the devices work. In the suit filed last year, Apple
said the fee was too high.
Motorola is obliged by standards-setting bodies to
offer licences at "reasonable" rates when the patents are part of
industry standards like Wi-Fi and cellular technology. There are, however,
various answers as to what constitutes a "reasonable" rate.
Bloomberg News has reported that the Federal Trade
Commission is close to suing Google because it uses standards-essential patents
in suits aimed at blocking Apple products from the market.
Judge Barbara Crabb at the district court for the
Western District of Wisconsin did not give a reason for dismissing the suit.
Motorola spokeswoman Jennifer Weyrauch-Erickson said
the company was pleased at the judge's action.
"We remain interested in reaching an agreement
with Apple," she said.
Apple representatives declined to comment.
Reference:
http://www.smh.com.au/it-pro/business-it/apple-suit-vs-google-over-patent-fees-dismissed-20121106-28v33.html
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