Headquartered in Redmond, Wash., Microsoft Corporation develops, manufactures, licenses, supports and sells computer software, consumer electronics and personal computers and services. (Photo : Reuters)
A ruling recently issued by the United States International Trade Commission clears Microsoft out of a patent lawsuit which was filed eight years ago. The lawsuit was filed by InterDigital and claims that Nokia, a company now owned by Microsoft, infringe the former's patent on 3G cellular technology.
Before the new ruling was issued, a judge ruled in April that Microsoft is using patents originally owned by InterDigital. The judge added that Microsoft are indeed using InterDigital patents, a practice which is standard in the industry, but Microsoft refused to pay for using the license to use the patents.
If Microsoft lost the lawsuit, an import ban could be levied on the company's mobile devices and this will include even the latest and upcoming Lumia smartphones. The recent legal victory for Microsoft will also help the company in competing with industry titans such as Apple and Samsung.
The ruling only stated that Microsoft had not violated the patents. The commission did not tackle the issue revolving around fair licensing fees for patents that are considered very important in the industry.
One of the issues debated during the course of the lawsuit tackles how much InterDigital can charge for licensing its patents which the company claims are essential in terms of cellular technology.
The ruling strike a heavy blow on InterDigital's stocks. According to The Next Digit, the company, based in Delaware, reported a decline of around three percent after the ruling was issued.
InterDigital chief executive officer William Merritt told Pulse Headlines, "The decision not to support the import ban would have limited repercussions, given the decline of the Nokia mobile device business under Microsoft's control and its limited market position."
