Microsoft's Phones Don't Infringe Patents, U.S. ITC Rules

Microsoft has prevailed over InterDigital in a years-old patent infringement action that was originally brought against Nokia in front of the U.S. International Trade Commission.


On Friday, the commission ruled that Nokia phones don’t infringe on patents held by InterDigital relating to 3G cellular data standards, overturning a previous decision from earlier this year. It’s good news for Microsoft, since the ITC has the power to block imports of products that it determines are infringing patents.


InterDigital CEO Bill Merritt said that while he was disappointed with the decision, it wouldn’t mean much for the company’s business. The firm will continue developing technology for future standards and pursuing licensing fees for the patents it already holds.


Microsoft said it was pleased with the ITC’s decision, and that it would continue its fight against InterDigital through an antitrust lawsuit it filed last week.


That lawsuit alleges that InterDigital’s “abusive licensing practices” violate antitrust law. It comes on the heels of a decision from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that upheld a ruling in Microsoft’s favor that set a licensing rate for other patents relating to Wi-Fi standards and required Google to pay $14.5 million in damages.