Motorola Mobility seeks ban on U.S. imports of iPad, iPhone and Mac

Google-owned Motorola Mobility has filed a patent infringement case against Apple Inc. at the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC). Bloomberg reports that in its complaint, Motorola Mobility has alleged that Apple infringes on seven of its patents that pertain to location reminders, e-mail notifications, phone/ video players, etc. The company is now aiming to obtain an import ban in the U.S. on the popular Apple devices iPad, iPhone and Mac computers. The report further quotes a statement by Motorola Mobility, "We would like to settle these patent matters, but Apple’s unwillingness to work out a license leaves us little choice but to defend ourselves and our engineers’ innovations".

Another suit for the Apple

Motorola's complaint filed at the ITC is the latest in Google's battle with the Cupertino-based company. Earlier this year, a higher regional court in Karlsruhe, Germany declared that Motorola Mobility cannot ask Apple to halt the sales of its iPhones and iPads in Germany. The court ruling read, "The licensing terms offered by Apple sufficiently addresses Motorola's interests. At the current stage, which only allows a summary assessment of the two sides' arguments, it is to be assumed that Motorola would be in breach of its obligations under anti-trust legislation if it continued to demand that Apple does not sell the iPhone and iPad".

An earlier report pertaining to the ongoing lawsuit had revealed that the dispute between Apple and Motorola Mobility over unresolved patents had escalated to the level that Motorola Mobility claimed Apple approached European Union (EU) anti-trust officials to step in to settle it for them. 

Recently, there were reports of an ITC judge ruling that Apple Inc infringed on a Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc patent, by way of its iPhones, iPads and other products. ITC Judge Thomas Pender said in a preliminary ruling that Apple infringed on a patent for eliminating noise and other interference during voice and data transmissions. The full commission is to review the judge's decision and issue a final ruling in August.

Motorola Mobility, which Google Inc acquired, also accused Apple of violating three other patents, including one for touchscreen technology. Motorola Mobility had then sought for an import ban into the United States. Apple noted that it was found to not have infringed on three patents in this case. 

Motorola Mobility, as per earlier reports even filed related lawsuits against Apple in district courts in Illinois and Florida.

It now remains to be seen how this case develops.