Microsoft attorneys presented opening arguments on Monday in a closely-watched case where the Redmond-based software giant seeks to block the sale of Motorola phones that run Google's Android mobile operating system.
The software giant told the International Trade Commission that Motorola infringed seven of its patents and that it should be barred from importing six phones into the U.S.: the Droid 2, Droid X, Cliq XT, Devour, Backflip and Charm. The Droid 2 is one of the most popular of Android phones.
Patents are at the heart of a major battle for control of the next generation computing platforms: mobile phones and tablets. Apple had a head start with its iPhone and iPad devices, but Google is gaining ground with dozens of phone models built by manufacturers that use its Android OS. Earlier this month, Google announced an agreement to purchase Motorola Mobility, a division of Texas-based mobile phone pioneer Motorola that was split off in January of this year.
Microsoft has lagged in the mobile market, with sluggish sales of devices running Windows Mobile 7, the latest flavor of its mobile OS. Yet it has been raking in licensing fees from Android phone makers thanks to its extensive patent portfolio, with some speculating it is receiving as much as $20 per phone.
Microsoft’s case against Motorola is just one in a merry-go-round of patent cases involving most of the major players in the mobile phone market. Companies have been scrambling to purchase patents from struggling rivals, with the bankrupt Nortel auctioning off its intellectual property to a consortium led by Microsoft and Apple. Google struck back with its purchase of Motorola a few weeks later.
