Federal judge cancels Apple-Motorola patent trial

A judge for the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit on Friday dismissed a patent infringement lawsuit brought by Apple against smartphone rival Motorola. Judge Richard Posner, sitting in as a trial judge for the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, dismissed the case with prejudice, saying that neither party could establish a right to relief. Throughout the legal proceedings, Posner expressed frustration with both Apple and Motorola, implying that the companies were wasting the court's time with unclear arguments. Posner was also angered that neither party could justify the large sums they claimed that their patents were worth. He declared he would issue a longer opinion later in the week and that he could change his mind.

Apple and Motorola have been locked in many legal battles in recent years. In February, Apple sued Motorola in federal court in California seeking an injunction to stop Motorola from bringing patent claims against Apple in Germany. In October 2010, Apple sued Motorola in federal court in Wisconsin, claiming that several of Motorola's products infringed on six patents owned by Apple.

(Published by Jurist - June 8, 2012)