Microsoft Sues to Stop Motorola Phone Sales

Microsoft has joined the technology litigation party and launched a suit to prevent the sale of Motorola mobile phones in the U.S.

With each technology giant seemingly suing each other in a Royal Rumble-style lawsuit, Microsoft apparently believes its latest action will ban a number of Google-owned Motorola phones in America, which Microsoft claims infringe upon seven patents. These include ways to synchronize calendars and contacts, as well as notifying applications of changes to signal strength.

Motorola phones are made overseas, despite Motorola being an American company, and the International Trade Commission could prevent the products reaching the States. This could pave the way for Microsoft to then argue its case in other markets.

Ironically, analysts have pointed to the suspicion that one of the reasons for Google's $7.7 billion purchase of Motorola Mobility -- the phone manufacturing arm of the company -- was to acquire the large number of patents which date back to the early age of mobile phones in order to defend Android.

As it stands, therefore, Microsoft is suing Motorola, which will soon be owned by Google. Microsoft has already won a suit against HTC and its Google-owned Android phones. But HTC, which is also boosting its intellectual property portfolio, has filed a major patent infringement case against Apple -- which in turn is suing Samsung and has filed multiple lawsuits against HTC.

Source:http://www.pcworld.com/article/239009/microsoft_sues_to_stop_motorola_phone_sales.html#tk.rss_news