There's a new wrinkle in the ongoing patent wars, which finds Google's new BFF Motorola Mobility in hot water with the European Commission -- with two investigations now underway after complaints by Apple and Microsoft.
AppleInsider is reporting on the European Commission's announcement today that two formal investigations have been opened against Motorola Mobility over complaints they are "abusing its standard-essential patents" in the European Union. The companies behind the complaints are none other than Apple and Microsoft.
The iOS and Windows Phone makers allege "potential unfair licensing practices" against Motorola Mobility, who is in the midst of being snapped up by search giant Google. The European Commission will investigate whether or not Motorola "has failed to honor the commitments it has made to standard setting organizations."
"In these commitments, Motorola engaged to license those standard-essential patents on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms," a statement from the European Commission said on Tuesday. "The Commission will examine whether Motorola's behaviour amounts to an abuse of a dominant market position prohibited by Article 102 on the Treaty of the Functioning EU."
Patent expert Florian Mueller of FOSS Patents also weighed in on the announcement, claiming "the launch of formal investigations (as opposed to merely preliminary ones) is a key step that follows a reasonably thorough (even though only initial) assessment of the issues."
The announcement is considered a sign that European Commission Vice President Joaquin Almunia intends to "fight for FRAND licensing harder than any of his predecessors did."
Follow this article's author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter
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