Adam Birney / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Motorola cellphone gross sales could possibly be banned within the US if an ITC ruling in favor of Ericsson is upheld.
- Ericsson has claimed that Motorola’s telephones infringe upon its 5G wi-fi communications patents.
- In an preliminary ruling, the ITC has discovered that Lenovo-owned Motorola violates Ericsson’s patents.
The US Worldwide Commerce Fee (ITC) has discovered that Lenovo-owned Motorola violates Ericsson’s patents. If the ITC’s resolution is upheld, the nation could possibly be banned from importing Motorola telephones.
Reuters reviews that an preliminary ruling by an ITC decide, issued on December 17, acknowledged that Motorola telephones infringe upon Sweden-based Ericsson’s patents associated to 5G tech.
A ultimate ruling on Ericsson’s case towards Lenovo and Motorola is anticipated in April subsequent yr. The grievance was filed final yr, alleging telephones within the Moto G, Edge, and Razr households violate Ericsson’s wi-fi communication patents. Lenovo has beforehand denied the allegations, however the firm has but to challenge any new statements concerning the newest ruling in Ericsson’s favor.
Based on Conterpoint’s November market share report, Motorola held a 14% share within the US market in Q3 2024. Motorola’s share elevated by 21% in comparison with final yr, as a result of an improved pay as you go efficiency from the Moto G Play 2024. Given its sizeable presence within the US smartphone area, a possible gross sales ban could possibly be devastating for Motorola. Nevertheless, as we’ve seen in patent disputes earlier than, it’s potential that the 2 corporations will attain some type of settlement earlier than a full-force ban goes into impact.
That mentioned, Lenovo and Motorola are additionally preventing patent disputes in South America, the UK, and North Carolina. Ericsson has received in nations like Brazil and Colombia, the place gross sales of Motorola telephones have been banned.
