Motorola phones face US market ban owing to patent dispute

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) found that Lenovo’s Motorola infringed Ericsson’s patents. If the International Trade Commission’s decision is upheld, the country may be banned from importing Motorola phones.

Reuters reported that preliminary ruling The ITC judge issued a ruling on December 17 admitting that Motorola mobile phones infringed on Swedish Ericsson’s 5G technology-related patents.

The final verdict in Ericsson’s case against Lenovo and Motorola is expected to be made in April next year. The lawsuit, filed last year, accuses the Moto G, Edge and Razr series of phones of infringing Ericsson’s wireless communications patents. Lenovo has previously denied the accusations, but the company has yet to make any new statements regarding the latest ruling in Ericsson’s favor.

According to Conterpoint’s November market share reportIn the third quarter of 2024, Motorola held a 14% share of the US market. , a potential sales ban could be devastating for Motorola. However, as we’ve seen before in patent disputes, it’s possible that the two companies can reach some form of settlement before a blanket ban goes into effect.

Still, Lenovo and Motorola are still fighting patent disputes in South America, the United Kingdom and North Carolina. Ericsson has won in countries such as Brazil and Colombia, which have banned the sale of Motorola phones.