EU/US: Almunia draws the line on patent suits

European Commissioner Joaquin Almunia moved to end the patent wars between smartphone rivals Apple and Motorola Mobility, announcing Tuesday that Motorola was wrong to launch litigation against Apple for allegations of patent infringement.

According to reports, the Commission told the companies to halt their lawsuits against each other in hopes its decision will help curb other companies’ suits as well.

”The so-called smartphone patent wars should not occur at the expense of consumers,” Almunia said in a statement.

As previously reported from unnamed sources, Motorola will not be issued a fine in the Commission’s ruling. But the regulator did reprimand the company for filing a lawsuit against Apple in Germany on allegations Apple infringed on a standard-essential patent.

The Commission also told Samsung to stop filing similar lawsuits as long as their rivals sign patent licensing agreements.

US patent wars

In the US, the patent wars rage on, however, as Apple and Samsung delivered their closing arguments Tuesday before jurors deliberate to decide whether Samsung infringed on Apple smartphone patents.

Samsung similarly claims Apple infringed on its patents and is reportedly seeking an import ban on the iPhone 5.

Apple, on the other hand, is seeking billions of dollars in damages from Samsung which, in its defense, argues that Apple exaggerated the importance of those technologies on which Apple says Samsung infringed.

The two companies have been going back and forth in their patent arguments for three years across the world, reports say.

Full content: Reuters and Reuters

Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.