There is a lot going on right with patent law suits, we’ve actually got a post with a diagram of who is suing who just so you can keep it straight. Microsoft is proceeding against its claim that Android device makers, Motorola in particular, are infringing on its patents happens today.
Administrative Law Judge Theodore R. Essex of the U.S. International Trade Commission will hear Microsoft’s claims against Motorola. Microsoft filed claims last October that Motorola’s Android-based smartphones infringe on nine patents related to syncing e-mail, calendar, and contacts, and notifying applications about changes in signal strength and battery power. Microsoft brought the dispute before the ITC in order to block shipments of Motorola devices before they hit the US.
Microsoft has filed similar claims with the ITC against other mobile-device makers, including Barnes & Noble for its Nook electronic reading tablet. Apple has similarly sued Taiwanese handset maker HTC over claims that its handsets infringe on iPhone patents.
This 10 day hearing will focus on the validity of Microsoft’s patents and if they were infringed upon. We won’t be getting an answer in 10 days a final verdict will have in 2012. If Microsoft wins Motorola’s devices will be blocked for sale in US.
While Google is not a party to the litigation, it will loom large in the case. Earlier this month, Google sought to bar one of Microsoft’s expert witnesses from testifying, arguing that Microsoft improperly disclosed Android source code with him. Last week, Essex denied that request, ruling that Google didn’t appear to make an attempt to resolve the matter within the rules he has set for the case.
Microsoft also has a separate lawsuit in federal court in Washington state alleging the same patent infringement claims. And, as is typical in patent disputes, Motorola has filed a countersuit, accusing Microsoft of infringing 16 patents in its Xbox gaming console and in Windows for servers, PCs, and mobile devices.
Via Cnet
