A U.S. International Trade Commission judge said today that Apple did not violate patents held by Google’s Motorola Mobility. The patent covers a sensor that prevents accidental hang-ups.
The patent is invalid, ITC judge Thomas Pender said in a notice posted on the agency’s docket. The judge’s findings are subject to review by the full commission, which has the power to block imports of products that infringe U.S. patents.
“We’re disappointed with this outcome and are evaluating our options,” said Jennifer Erickson, a spokeswoman for Motorola Mobility.
In an August order, the commission told Judge Pender to consider a possible violation after it cleared Apple of Motorola Mobility claims related to other patents for 3G technology. This makes the second time the judge has found no violation of this patent, which applies to a sensor that determines the proximity of a user’s head to the device.
Google bought Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion, mainly in order to obtain it’s portfolio of more than 17,000 patents. It hoped to use them against Apple, who had been suing Android licensees.
