A major chapter in the Microsoft v. Motorola patent war finally came to a close Wednesday and it’s good news for the Redmond software giant.
A U.S. International Trade Commission judge ruled that Microsoft did not infringe upon any Google-owned Motorola Mobility patents with the Xbox 360.
One month ago, a federal judge in Seattle sided with Microsoft in a preliminary ruling and said that Motorola Mobility would not be able to block the import and sale of Xbox or Windows, and today’s decision confirms that.
“This is a win for Xbox customers and confirms our view that Google had no grounds to block our products,” David Howard, Microsoft corporate vice president and deputy general counsel, said in a statement.
Motorola had originally claimed that Microsoft violated five of its patents and sought a rate amounting to more than $4 billion a year, plus $20 billion in back payments. This case, which started back in 2010, will likely to set a precedent in the realm of “standard-essential patents” — technologies that are required for companies to implement industry standards.