Federal Judge Tosses Out Apple’s Lawsuit Against Motorola Mobility

Thankfully, it’s been some time since I’ve written about an Apple patent lawsuit, however, that doesn’t mean they’ve magically disappeared. The latest in Apple’s crusade against Google (via Motorola Mobility), leads us to a U.S. District Court in Madison, Wisconsin. Apple was slated to go up against Motorola Mobility with allegations of unfair licensing practices, however, Judge Barbara Crabb has dismissed Apple’s lawsuit with prejudice — meaning the case is over at the trial court level.

“We’re pleased that the court has dismissed Apple’s lawsuit with prejudice,” a Google spokeswoman said in an emailed statement on Monday.

Apple still has the opportunity to appeal, and since they’ve been reluctant to pay Motorola anything above $1 per iPhone to license the patents, it’s highly likely they will (appeal, that is).

Google remains interested in reaching an agreement with Apple over the licensing, however, has no plans to bow to Apple’s lowball figure and still stands by Motorola’s offers.

“Motorola has long offered licensing to our extensive patent portfolio at a reasonable and non-discriminatory rate in line with industry standards.”

Since it’s obvious neither party sees eye to eye on the issue and refuses to compromise, we’re guessing the lawsuits will continue.

On a positive note, it would appear that the judges are becoming encumbered with these shenanigans and slowly losing their patience. We’re starting to see more dismissals and that’s certainly a good thing.