Apple, Google's Motorola Dismiss Patent Suits Against Each Other

Apple and Motorola on Friday reached a truce, with the two companies agreeing to dismiss all patent-infringement claims against each other.

Apple and Motorola parent company Google said in a joint statement that "Apple and Google have also agreed to work together in some areas of patent reform.


They added that the agreement doesn't include a cross license.


Apple and the various Android handset makers have been waging patent-infringement battles against each other all over the world.


Apple has accused companies such as Samsung of infringing features of its iPhones and iPads, while the companies have countered that Google created the technology first and that Apple has infringed their patents.


For Apple, its suits against Android vendors are about more than money. What's really at stake is the market for mobile devices.

Apple now gets two-thirds of its sales from the iPhone and iPad; Android has surpassed iOS as the world's most popular mobile operating system; and both want to dominate the market.


Apple and various handset rivals, such as HTC and Nokia, have reached settlements over the past couple of years.


However, the highest-profile case -- Apple v. Samsung -- continues to work its way through the courts.

A jury in San Jose, Calif., earlier this month ruled that both companies infringed some of each other's patents.

At the same time, Apple, Google, Samsung, and various other companies continue to fend off lawsuits from so-called patent trolls.

Such entities wait for another company to develop products that allegedly infringe their intellectual property, then pounce.

Allegedly offending companies often choose to license the patent; those that fail to do so typically face a protracted lawsuit.

Apple and various handset rivals, such as HTC and Nokia, have reached settlements over the past couple of years.

 However, the highest-profile case -- Apple v. Samsung -- continues to work its way through the courts.

A jury in San Jose, Calif., earlier this month ruled that both companies infringed some of each other's patents.


At the same time, Apple, Google, Samsung, and various other companies continue to fend off lawsuits from so-called patent trolls.


 Such entities wait for another company to develop products that allegedly infringe their intellectual property, then pounce.


Allegedly offending companies often choose to license the patent; those that fail to do so typically face a protracted lawsuit.


Since the Apple v. Motorola suit began, Google reached a deal to sell Motorola to Chinese PC maker Lenovo for $2.9 billion. The sale likely contributed to Apple's decision to settle the case now.