An Apple lawsuit against Google’s Motorola Mobility unit over alleged patent abuse was thrown out on Monday just hours before trial, a setback for the iPhone maker in its efforts to gain leverage in the smartphone patent wars.
The two rivals were set to square off in a Madison, Wisconsin federal court over the library of patents Google acquired along with Motorola for US$12.5 billion in May. Apple claimed Motorola’s licensing practices were unfair.
However, late last week District Judge Barbara Crabb questioned whether she had the legal authority to hear Apple’s claims, and on Monday she dismissed the case. If Apple cannot convince Crabb to reconsider, then the matter could be appealed.
A Google spokeswoman said the company was pleased with the order, while an Apple representative declined to comment. In a legal brief filed after Crabb’s ruling, Apple contended that the judge does indeed have the authority to hear its claims.
Lea Shaver, an intellectual property professor at Indiana University School of Law, said a ruling against Google would have diminished Motorola’s patents as an effective bargaining chip in settlement negotiations.
“This puts Apple back into the position it was before,” Shaver said.