Motorola Mobility Wins German Ruling on Windows, Xbox

Motorola Mobility Holdings won a patent ruling allowing it to ban Microsoft from selling its Windows 7, Internet Explorer and Media Player software and Xbox gaming systems in Germany.

In a case that prompted Microsoft to move its European logistics center to the Netherlands from Germany, the Mannheim Regional Court found the company violated patents related to industry standards for video compression. Last month, a U.S. court ordered Motorola Mobility not to enforce a ban if it won today’s ruling while a related dispute in Seattle is pending. The dispute involves technology known as “standard essential” set by industry groups that every company needs to use. Owners of standard essential patents are required to licenses them to competitors under fair and reasonable terms.