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European Commission investigates Motorola over patent abuse

Apple and Microsoft complain

European Commission investigates Motorola over patent abuse
It's not been a good week for Motorola Mobility.

The Google subsidiary lost out to Apple in a pre-trial battle over touchscreen patents.

Now the European Commission is to open two formal investigations following complaints from Apple and Microsoft.

On a roll-a

Both companies have accused Motorola of abusing its standard-essential patents, causing the European Commission to formally investigate the mobile company's licensing practices with respect to its 'FRAND patents'.

The commission will also investigate whether Motorola has honoured commitments it has made to the SSO (Standard Setting organisations).

"The Commission will examine whether Motorola's behaviour amounts to an abuse of a dominant market position prohibited by Article 102 on the Treaty of the Functioning EU," reads a statement from the commission.

Innocent until proven guilty

FOSS Patent's Florian Mueller weighed in on the investigation adding: "The press release routinely states, to put it differently, MMI (Motorola) is innocent until proven guilty."

"But the launch of formal investigations (as opposed to merely preliminary ones) is a key step that follows a reasonably thorough (even though only initial) assessment of the issues."

[source: FOSS Patents]

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