Today, Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) has reached a settlement and signed a licensing agreement with Immersion, a touch feedback development company, in a move to resolve the patent infringement litigation filed by Immersion against Motorola.
Following the closing of Google’s acquisition of Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc (NYSE:MMI), in May 2012, a litigation against Motorola was initialed by Immersion on account of Motorola’s attempt to infringe six of its patented haptic effects, generally referred to as Basic Haptics.
As per the licensing agreement, as reported by Immersion, a resolution has been reached with Immersion to receive compensation for prior shipments of Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc (NYSE:MMI) devices containing Basic Haptic technology. All the parties have reached a settlement where certain issues with Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)-branded and Motorola smartphones have been resolved.
Victor Viegas, the CEO of Immersion, announces that:
“The successful resolution of this case is a critical step in our overall strategy of enforcing and monetizing our intellectual property, including Basic Haptics, and we’re pleased to achieve a settlement that is consistent with our business model, which is largely based on per unit running royalties.”
“We remain fully committed to enforcing our IP rights while continuing to innovate and create new technology and solutions for the mobile space. While the terms of the settlement will remain confidential and are not anticipated to have a material impact on our financial results for 2012, this settlement is a great step forward in validating the value of our IP portfolio and the investments we have made in the mobile market.”
As a result of this settlement, all pending litigations between Immersion and Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc (NYSE:MMI) will be dismissed.
The agreement, however, does not reveal any settlement that extends to other companies that use the Android operating system. It is notable that this settlement might attract attention for the company as an acquirable entity at a time when patents are becoming a key element when dealing with competitors in the mobility sector.
