Microsoft is involved in a patent battle with smartphone maker Motorola Mobility and on Monday that battle is scheduled to come to a head in court. News.com is reporting that the U.S. International Trade Commission in Washington, D.C will hold a hearing to hear Microsoft's side in the case. The company has been claiming since October that Motorola's smartphones powered by Google's Android operating system violate a number of Microsoft's patents.
The patents themselves are related to Motorola's phones being able to sync several of its phones' features like email, contacts and more. It also involves the phones letting its users know about how much battery power is left along with finding the best single strength. Google itself is not involved in the patent dispute. The judge in the case will hear Microsoft's side for about 10 days of hearings. The judge could make a preliminary decision later this year. However he is not expected to make a final judgment on this case until sometime in 2012. If he does rule in Microsoft's favor, the company could file an injunction to bar the sales of Motorola's smartphones until Motorola pays to use Microsoft's patents.
Obviously this patent dispute is being watched by others in the mobile phone industry. It also got even more complicated earlier this week thanks to Google's announcement that it is planning to acquire Motorola for $12.5 billion. Ironically, one of Google's main reasons for purchasing Motorola is to secure the company's many patents.
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