Apple Wins Patent Lawsuit Against Motorola in Germany

The patent wars between Apple and a myriad of different companies that are using Google’s Android operating system heated up yet again in Germany. Apple recently received an injunction against Motorola products from a German court thanks to claims by the iPhone maker that Motorola had infringed on the company’s “Rubber Band” patents. The ruling will make it impossible for Motorola to sell any of their Android phones in Germany, dealing the company a serious blow until they can get the ruling reversed, assuming they can.

The German court did not specify much when it issued the ruling. At the moment there is no specified amount of money that Motorola will have to pay Apple because of the copyright infringement. 


Image via Shutterstock

The patent that was at question, officially deemed EP2126678, has to do with scrolling lists, translating, rotating and scaling electronic documents on touchscreen displays on smartphones and other mobile devices. It is called the rubber band patent because the display springs back once a user has scrolled to the bottom of a document on a device like a smartphone. 

Patents like these can be quite surprising, because the average consumer won’t have any idea that such an idea can actually mean the difference between whether or not a company can sell the product.

Neither of the companies has commented on the fresh ruling, but that particular ruling can’t be all that surprising. Apple and the usual suspects, such as Samsung and Motorola, are regularly doing battle in court over one kind of patent or another. These rulings are also usually overturned at some point, but if this one stands, it would truly be a big time blow to the company. Not being allowed to sell their products in an entire country can mean the difference between a successful year and one that has brows furrowed.

Want to learn more about patents in the telecom industry? Then be sure to attend Synopsis Under IP/Patents Telecom Sourcing Conference (SUITS), collocated with ITEXPO West 2012 taking place Oct. 2-5, in Austin, TX.   Stay in touch with everything happening at SUITS. Follow us on Twitter.