[Galaxy S III General (US Carriers)] hayabusa1300cc:
http://www.bgr.com/2012/06/25/google-tries-to-block-u-s-shipments-of-apples-iphone-over-3g-patents/

Google tries to block U.S. shipments of Apple’s iPhone and iPad over 3G patents [updated]

Google is seeking to block U.S. imports of Apple’s iPhone and iPad over 3G patents held by Motorola Mobility,*Bloomberg*is reporting.UPDATE:*Bloomberg*is theorizing that due to a review of a previous ruling, Apple could face a ban on importing iPhones and iPads, but Google is not filing an injunction at this time.

By Susan Decker and William McQuillenJune 25 (Bloomberg) — A U.S. trade agency said it willreview a judge’s findings that Apple Inc.’s iPhone and iPad tablet computer infringe a patent owned by Google Inc.’s Motorola Mobility unit, in a case that could lead to imports of the devices being banned. The U.S. International Trade Commission said it will review ITC Judge Thomas Pender’s findings that Apple was violating one*Motorola Mobility patent. The commission is scheduled to issue a*final decision on Aug. 24, and has the power to block devices*made in Asia from entering the U.S. The iPhone, iPad and related*devices generate 78 percent of Apple’s revenue.*The commission said it would review aspects of all four*Motorola Mobility patents in the case, including the one found*to be infringed. The agency also will consider whether it should*be issuing import bans on products found to infringe patents*related to industry standards. Notice of the commission’s decision was posted today on the agency’s website.*The iPhone generated $22 billion in sales last quarter for*Apple, or 58 percent of the company’s total revenue. It was the*best-selling smartphone in the U.S., with 29 percent of the*market, while Motorola Mobility had 10 percent, researcher NPD*Group said May 2.*Apple’s iPad dominates the tablet computer market, with 72*percent of the market, according to researcher DisplaySearch.*The iPad and related products brought in $9.2 billion for Apple,*almost 20 percent of its revenue.*Motorola Mobility filed the complaint in October 2010 as a*pre-emptive strike after Apple made public statements that*phones running on Google’s Android operating system were copying*features of the iPhone. The dispute is part of a broader global*battle for supremacy in the smartphone and tablet computer*markets that also pits Apple against Android-device*manufacturers Samsung Electronics Co. and HTC Corp.*Android is the most popular platform for smartphones, with*61 percent of the market, NPD said.*Apple is appealing its loss in the patent-infringement*complaint it filed at the ITC against Libertyville, Illinois-*based Motorola Mobility, and a federal judge in Chicago last*week threw out patent claims Apple and Motorola Mobility had*filed against each other. Google bought Motorola Mobility in*part to gain access to its trove of 17,000 patents, many on*phone technology.*Cupertino, California-based Apple also has filed a*complaint against Motorola Mobility at the European Union,*accusing the handset manufacturer of misusing patents that*relate to industry standards.*The patent that Pender said Apple infringed relates to the*industry standard for 3G technology used by most phones, and*Motorola Mobility has argued that Apple infringes the patent byfollowing the standard.*Apple argued that, since Motorola Mobility helped establish*the standard, it shouldn’t be allowed to block use of patent*inventions related to the standard. It filed a lawsuit accusing*Motorola Mobility of breaching its contractual obligation to*license any standard-essential patents on fair and reasonableterms.*The U.S. Federal Trade Commission, members of Congress and*Microsoft Corp. have filed papers supporting Apple’s argument*that import bans should not be imposed on such patents. Verizon*Wireless, the largest U.S. mobile-phone service provider, and*No. 2 AT&T Inc. filed papers making similar arguments.*Verizon Wireless, jointly owned by Verizon Communications*Inc. and Vodafone Group Plc, also said an import ban on the*iPhone “would hamper technological development, strand critical*infrastructure investment and cost American jobs.”*The patent that was found to be infringed covers a way to*eliminate noise so signals are clearer. A Wi-Fi patent is*invalid because it doesn’t cover a new invention, the judge*said. No infringement was found on two other patents, for a way*the server tracks which applications are available, and a sensorto determine the proximity of a person’s head to the phone so it*doesn’t accidentally hang up or dial unwanted numbers.*The case against Apple is In the Matter of Wireless*Communication Devices, Portable Music and Data Processing*Devices, Computers and Components Thereof, 337-745, and Apple’s*case against Motorola Mobility is In the Matter of Mobile*Devices and Related Software, 337-750, both U.S. InternationalTrade.