Microsoft “Banned” In Germany
- Scribbled on May 4th, 2012 by Jordan Lund
- Filed in Legal Brief, Microsoft Windows #, Microsoft Xbox 360, PC
German courts have been problematic for tech companies as of late. First, Apple successfully gained a block on sales of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 throughout the country, and now it seems that Motorola has successfully gained an injunction blocking sales of both the Xbox, Microsoft Windows 7 and related Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player technology in all of Germany.
The basis of the complaint seems to be Microsoft’s implementation of the H.264 standard for video playback. Motorola claims they own the patent on the technology and they claim Microsoft is violating the patents. The evidence they have presented so far wasn’t enough to convince US courts to grant a sales injunction, but it was strong enough in Germany.
Going forward, Microsoft has seven days to appeal the ruling, if that goes poorly they can fall back on a Seattle court ruling, due May 7 which would prevent Motorola from taking punitive action in Germany.
However, Motorola needs to watch their step. Back in 2011, LG electronics successfully embargoed Playstation 3 machines in Europe over patents related to Blu-Ray. When all was said and done, the PS3s went on sale anyway and LG was stuck with large fines for instigating the embargo of 300,000 PS3 units into Europe.
i would love it...
May 9th, 2012 at 1:13 am
[...] “banned” in [...]