Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) isn’t the only tech company Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) wants to fight. In a recent court room litigation with Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), the search engine giant lost the first round.
In the patent dispute case that went against Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG), the judge apparently agreed with Microsoft. The primary issue for this case was how much Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) owed Google for usage of their Motorola Unit. These units were used for licensing video and WiFi patents to use in their Windows operating systems and Xbox 360 game console.
Regulators have long scrutinized whether Motorola’s patent licenses broke antitrust laws. This is primarily why Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) remained under investigation with the European Commission. District Judge James Robart made a ruling that Microsoft would pay up for using Motorola intellectual property in the products that were cents per unit instead of the several dollars per unit Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc (NYSE:MMI) initially requested, a major win for Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT).
Microsoft’s Deputy General Counsel David Howard explained, “This decision is good for consumers because it ensures patented technology committed to standards remains affordable for everyone.”
The spokesperson for Motorola has not been reached yet.
This particular ruling is not a good one for Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG). The search engine giant purchased Motorola for $12.5 billion. One of the reasons for the purchase was to access their intellectual properties. Later on this summer, the patent trial will continue, to decide if Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc (NYSE:MMI) breached their duty to license essential patents to Microsoft on more fair terms.
Tech companies have been duking it out in court for quite awhile now. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Samsung are currently in a heated battle over patents. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) claims Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (LON:BC94) (KRX:005930) stole their patents for their own devices and just last summer, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) had a major win as the South Korean tech company was forced to pay them $1.05 billion. Even though Samsung is a completely separate company from Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG), it appears that Google is still the prime target.
