Apple stops selling some devices online in Germany

Apple Inc. stopped offering older models of its iPhone and 3G-based iPads at its German online store on Friday in a response to an injunction won by Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc in December. "While some iPad and iPhone models are not available through Apple's online store in Germany right now, customers should have no problem finding them at one of our retail stores or an authorised reseller," Apple spokesman Alan Hely said.

Legal affairs

On Apple's German site, attempts to order iPhone 3G and 4 models and 3G/UMTS-based iPads produced a "currently not available" message. The latest iPhone version 4S and WIFI-only iPads, however, were available online. A regional German court in Mannheim ruled on December 9 that Apple Sales International -- European sales subsidiary of Apple in Cork, Ireland - must stop selling or distributing mobile devices that infringe certain Motorola cellular communications patents.

Motorola Mobility said at the time it had been negotiating with Apple and offering the company "reasonable licensing terms and conditions since 2007."

To enforce the injunction Motorola Mobility had to pay about 100 million euros as bond.

Apple, which has other patent infringement cases pending in Germany, said again on Friday that it plans to appeal. "Apple is appealing this ruling because Motorola repeatedly refuses to license this patent to Apple on reasonable terms, despite having declared it an industry standard patent seven years ago," a company spokesman said.

Apple is locked in mobile patent infringement battles with a number of companies, including Samsung Electronics Co Ltd. and HTC Corp., in many countries. It recently failed in a court bid to stop U.S. sales of Samsung's Galaxy line of products.

Reuters