Apple violates one Motorola Wi-Fi patent, says ITC judge

According to a report from Bloomberg, U.S. International Trade Commission Judge Thomas Pender has ruled in favor (PDF) of Motorola and claimed Apple’s devices infringe on one Android-related patent owned by the company. The ruling is only a partial victory for Motorola’s attempt to receive an injunction on iPhones and iPads, because the judge’s decision will still have to be reviewed before import blocks can be achieved:

ITC Judge Thomas Pender said Apple violated one of four Motorola Mobility patent rights. The patent relates to Wi-Fi technology. The judge’s findings are subject to review by the six-member commission, which has the power to block imports that infringe U.S. patents.

As for the Wi-Fi patent in question (# 6,246,697), Apple spokesperson Kristin Huguet told AllThingsD that Motorola refused to license its industry-standard technology on “reasonable terms”:

“We’re glad the court ruled in our favor on three of four patents patents being considered… The fourth covers industry-standard technology which Motorola has refused to license to Apple on reasonable terms. A court in Germany has already declared this patent invalid, so we believe we will have a very strong case on appeal.”

Motorola provided the following statement to AllThingsD regarding the court’s decision:

“We are pleased that the ALJ’s initial determination finds Apple to be in violation of Motorola Mobility’s intellectual property, and look forward to the full commission’s ruling in August… Our commitment to innovation is a primary reason why we are an industry-leader in intellectual property, and our focus continues to be on building on this strong foundation to enhance the user experience.”

Apple lost its own ITC infringement case against Motorola when it sought an injunction originally filed in 2010. According to today’s report, Apple is appealing the decision.