Motorola Mobility Sues Microsoft For Various Patent Infringments

And the lawsuits keep flying. Lately, a lot of companies wrapped up in the creation of Android phones have been suing one another, suggesting that someone was stealing someone else's intellectual property. Now, Motorola is suing Microsoft, but it's actually not over Android. Or anything to do with the mobile realm at all, really.

Motorola Mobility has sued Microsoft with the U.S. District Courts for the Southern District of Florida and the Western District of Wisconsin alleging infringement of sixteen patents by Microsoft's PC and Server software, Windows mobile software and Xbox products. But why would Moto's Mobility division be the one suing? Well, the Motorola patents in question are directed to PC and Server software on Windows OS, digital video coding, email technology including Exchange, Messenger and Outlook, Windows Live instant messaging and object oriented software architecture. So in a way, it relates to software that touches the phone.


The Motorola patents directed to Windows mobile software relate to Windows Marketplace, Bing maps and object oriented software architecture. That alone is a pretty big deal; Motorola is basically saying that some aspects of the Windows Marketplace and Bing (two vital Microsoft services) use Motorola technology illegally. The Motorola patents directed to Xbox relate to digital video coding, WiFi technology, and graphical passwords. 

As lawsuits always do, Motorola Mobility has requested that Microsoft cease using Motorola's patented technology and provide compensation for Microsoft's past infringement. Of course, now this is a two-way lawsuit street. Microsoft also has filed separate patent infringement litigation against Motorola earlier in the year, so now two suits are ongoing against one another. You know what they say: if you can't join 'em, sue 'em back!

Motorola Mobility Files Patent Infringement Complaints Against Microsoft

LIBERTYVILLE, Ill., Nov. 10, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) today announced that its subsidiary, Motorola Mobility, Inc. has filed complaints against Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) with the U.S. District Courts for the Southern District of Florida and the Western District of Wisconsin alleging infringement of sixteen patents by Microsoft's PC and Server software, Windows mobile software and Xbox products.  

The Motorola patents directed to PC and Server software relate to Windows OS, digital video coding, email technology including Exchange, Messenger and Outlook, Windows Live instant messaging and object oriented software architecture. The Motorola patents directed to Windows mobile software relate to Windows Marketplace, Bing maps and object oriented software architecture.  The Motorola patents directed to Xbox relate to digital video coding, WiFi technology, and graphical passwords.  Motorola Mobility has requested that Microsoft cease using Motorola's patented technology and provide compensation for Microsoft's past infringement.

Kirk Dailey, corporate vice president of intellectual property at Motorola Mobility, said, "Motorola's R&D and intellectual property are of great importance to the Company and are renowned worldwide.  We are committed to protecting the interests of our shareholders, customers and other stakeholders and are bringing this action against Microsoft in order to halt its infringement of key Motorola patents. Motorola has invested billions of dollars in R&D to create a deep and broad intellectual property portfolio and we will continue to do what is necessary to protect our proprietary technology."

Mr. Dailey noted that Microsoft also has filed separate patent infringement litigation against Motorola.  "It is unfortunate," he said, "that Microsoft has chosen the litigation path rather than entering into comprehensive licensing negotiations, as Motorola has mutually beneficial licensing relationships with the great majority of technology companies industry-wide."