Mobile patent wars: Microsoft launches EU antitrust complaint against Motorola

The mobile patent wars continue, with Microsoft filing a European Union antitrust complaint about Motorola Mobility. Companies owning patents that end up as part of an industry standard have traditionally cross-licenced those patents on a FRAND (fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory) basis. However, according to TechWeek Europe, Microsoft alleges that Motorola is demanding unreasonable charges for the […]

Andrew Sadauskas 23 February, 2012

The mobile patent wars continue, with Microsoft filing a European Union antitrust complaint about Motorola Mobility.

Companies owning patents that end up as part of an industry standard have traditionally cross-licenced those patents on a FRAND (fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory) basis.

However, according to TechWeek Europe, Microsoft alleges that Motorola is demanding unreasonable charges for the use of its patents by its competitiors, and is therefore acting in an anti-competitive manner.

The news comes just weeks after the EU granted approval for Google to take over Motorola, and just days after Apple won an injunction against Motorola preventing the company using the slide-to-unlock feature on their Android smartphones in Germany.