Court orders Google, Motorola to pass Android details to Apple

When in a ruling delivered yesterday, in Chicago, U.S. Circuit Judge Richard A. Posner ordered both Google and Motorola to share data on Android with Apple, it introduced the latest twist to an ongoing patent lawsuit, that the companies have been engaged in, since a while now. Bloomberg now reports that both, Google and Motorola Mobility will have to now share all details of the development of the Android platform, with Cupertino-based, Apple. Quite understandably, the court’s decision comes in response to the patent lawsuit, first filed in 2010 against Motorola Mobility by Apple; and this particular order by the court finds Motorola Mobility strongly opposing it. In addition to the details of the development of the Android platform, Google has been ordered to provide Apple with the details of its pending $12.5 billion acquisition deal of Motorola Mobility. Quoting the judge, the report stated that, “Motorola shall be expected to obtain full and immediate compliance by Google with Apple’s liability discovery demands.”

Ordered to share details with Apple!

Motorola Mobility, according to this report is quite opposed to this ruling, especially with Google’s name being pulled into it, since it believes that the lawsuit did not involve Google, in the first place. Quoting Motorola Mobility’s lawyers, the report stated that, “Google’s employees and documents are not within the ‘possession, custody, or control’ of Motorola, and Motorola cannot force Google to produce documents or witnesses over Google’s objections.” Now, beginning from June 11, both Apple and Motorola Mobility will have to undergo back-to-back trials, appearing before separate juries hearing the case. The report further adds, " The first will address six Apple patents, and the second will cover three Motorola patents." 

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Those closely following our reports covering the lawsuit would know that both Apple Inc. and Motorola Mobility have been bickering bitterly over a host of unresolved patents. Late last month, there were reports about Motorola Mobility losing out to Apple in Germany; a victory, which bought the latter’s iPhones back to the market, after a brief block. It was in Germany only, when in mid-Feb, this year, Apple managed to secure a partial victory against Motorola Mobility, after its slide-to-unlock patent came to its rescue. In early February, though, a major update in the lawsuit came through. Motorola Mobility, according to reports had agreed to end its long standing dispute with Apple and subsequently license its patents to Apple, but to do so, the Cupertino-based company would have to pay them 2.25 percent royalty on all their sales.