Motorola was once a source of American pride being the company that made the very first mobile phone, but some of its devices might soon be banned from the US. And it’s all thanks to its parent company, Lenovo, seeing itself embroiled in some serious legal drama.
The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has determined that certain smartphones manufactured by Lenovo’s Motorola Mobility unit infringe on patents held by Swedish telecom giant Ericsson. The ITC, a federal agency responsible for investigating trade disputes, has the authority to block imports of products that infringe on US patents, and this is exactly what might end up happening with Lenovo’s Motorola range of products. If the decision is upheld, it could very well result in a ban on importing Motorola phones into the United States.
An ITC judge found that Motorola’s smartphones violate Ericsson’s patent rights related to 5G wireless technology. This marks a significant, albeit early, victory for Ericsson in its ongoing global patent dispute with the Chinese tech company. Both companies have yet to comment publicly on the ruling.
The ITC is slated to issue its final decision on the matter in April. If upheld, this ruling could prevent popular Motorola phone lines, including the Moto G, Edge, and Razr, from entering the US market. The dispute also extends beyond U.S. borders, with ongoing lawsuits in South America and the United Kingdom. Ericsson has already secured preliminary injunctions halting the sale of Lenovo smartphones in Brazil and Colombia. However, Lenovo’s appeal against the enforcement of the South American bans was recently revived by a US appeals court.
If Motorola phones do end up being banned in the US, not only would it be a shocking development, but it also would create a huge void in the US’ Android market. Motorola is one of the top brands of Android phones in the US, especially so when it comes to budget phones. We’ll have to wait and see how this whole situation pans out.
Source: Reuters, Android Central
