From ComputerWorld: Microsoft has prevailed over InterDigital in a years-old patent infringement action that was originally brought against Nokia in front of the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC).
On Friday, the commission ruled that Nokia phones don't infringe on patents held by InterDigital relating to 3G cellular data standards, overturning a previous decision from earlier this year. It's good news for Microsoft, since the ITC has the power to block imports of products that it determines are infringing patents.
It's just one more step in a long case, which started when InterDigital filed a complaint with the ITC in August 2007.
The mobile landscape is very different now than when the complaint was opened eight years ago. In 2007, Nokia was still the dominant player in the mobile phone market, and the iPhone had just launched. Since then, Microsoft acquired Nokia's devices and services business -- along with this litigation. Now, Microsoft has curtailed its mobile phone production ambitions: it recently announced it would cut 7,800 jobs primarily in its mobile phone unit and take a $7.6 billion write-down on its acquisition of Nokia.
View: Article @ Source Site
