US Judge Blocks Apple Inc In Google Inc. Smartphone War-Reuters

Reuters reported that a U.S. judge on Friday ruled that Apple Inc. cannot pursue an injunction against Google Inc.'s Motorola Mobility unit, effectively ending a key case for the iPhone maker in the smartphone patent wars. The ruling came from Judge Richard Posner in Chicago federal court. The litigation between Apple and Motorola Mobility with prejudice, meaning it can't be refiled. The ruling is a blow for Apple, which had hoped a decisive ruling against Motorola would help it gain an upper hand in the smartphone market against Android. Both parties have the option to appeal Posner's ruling. Motorola sued Apple in October 2010, a move that was widely seen as a pre-emptive strike against an imminent Apple lawsuit. Apple filed its own claims against Motorola the same month. Posner issued a series of pre-trial rulings that eliminated nearly all of Motorola's patent claims against Apple from the prospective trial, while maintaining more of Apple's claims against Motorola. That meant Apple had more to gain in the trial, which had been set to start last week. Posner canceled the trial earlier this month.