It looks like Apple could be in a spot of trouble here as the German courts have ruled in Motorola Mobility’s favor regarding patent infringements. The courts have granted Motorola Mobility a “preliminary enforceable” injunction against Ireland-based Apple Sales International on the grounds that some of Apple’s products may violate their patents.
According to the ruling, the injunction would encompass a wide range of iOS products, including the iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4, iPad 3G and the iPad 2 3G. It seems that these products are in violation of Motorola’s patents which has been described as “a method for performing a countdown function during a mobile-originated transfer for a packet radio system.”
According to FOSS Patents’ Florian Mueller, Apple could appeal the decision and request for a stay, although the end result could be that Apple and Motorola work out some sort of licensing agreement, or Apple will have to make modifications to their products that ensure it does not encroach on Motorola’s patents, a move that seems highly unlikely.
If Apple does not get on this and come up with a solution quickly, no doubt this ruling by the German courts could set a precedent of sorts that could ultimately lead to a Europe-wide ban on iOS products, a move you can be sure that Apple would definitely want to avoid at all costs.
Filed in . Read more about Apple Inc, Germany, Injunction, Legal, Motorola Mobility and Patent Infringement.