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Motorola faces German ban after losing lawsuit against Apple

Dunya News

Google's Motorola unit faces being forced to recall its Android tablets and smartphones from German.

Motorola had lost a patent lawsuit against Apple.The case relates to one of the innovations at the heart of an earlier US case in which Samsung was defeated by the iPhone maker.The dispute focused on the iOS systems bounce-back list feature which Motorola was found to have infringed.Apple has to formally request a sales ban before it would come into effect.Google has not issued a statement, but is expected to appeal.The ruling was issued at a court in Munich on Thursday.Google had challenged the validity of the patent which describes a way to make a list react as if it was on a rubberband when a user scrolls beyond its end.The search giant has also filed a separate challenge against the intellectual property with the European Patent Office.Tech consultant Florian Mueller - who advised another tech firm recently involved in a lawsuit against Google - said it would be relatively easy for the search giant to revise its software to mean it no longer risked a patent infringement.The basic version of Googles Android operating system displays a glow effect when a user reaches the end of a list. So, the firm could revise an adapted version used on Motorola devices to abandon their use of an added bounce-back feature.However, he added that if Apple posted a bond of 25m euro ($32.6m; £20.1m), it could now force the devices off shop shelves, and for an additional sum it could have them destroyed or recalled.Motorola briefly forced Apple to stop selling some of its iPads and iPhones in Germany in February after a separate lawsuit.While the ruling adds to Apples patent victory tally, the firms co-founder Steve Wozniak has voiced his discomfort at the fact it was engaged in such legal battles.Mr Wozniak is the listed inventor of several patents himself, including a way to use a computer with a video display. Although the US jurys verdict was delivered last month, the judge has scheduled two further hearings to discuss device bans in the country, and must still issue a final ruling on the sum owed.Samsung has said it intended to appeal.There has also been speculation that the South Korean firm might also challenge Apple over the use of 4G technologies in its new iPhone 5.