Apple 3G Devices Briefly Banned From German Online Store

I woke up this morning finding out that the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, and 3G iPads had been banned from sales on Apple’s online store in Germany, due to an injunction won by Motorola Mobility, following the company’s first big legal victory against Apple in the country a couple months ago.

By the time I took a shower and got to my computer though, the ban had already been lifted. That was quick…

So what happened? According to BusinessWeek:

The Mannheim Regional Court found Apple infringed a patent used to synchronize e-mail accounts. The ruling also allows Motorola Mobility to ask Apple for information about past device sales and holds Apple liable for damages, Presiding Judge Andreas Voss said today.

“The court has come to the conclusion that the wording of the patent does cover functions that were at issue here,” said Voss. Apple “wasn’t able to convince the court that it isn’t infringing.”

As a result, all 3G-capable devices, except the iPhone 4S, were banned from sales on Apple’s online store in Germany.

Fast forward a few minutes later, and Apple has already been granted a suspension of the German injunction against 3G-enabled iOS devices, as SlashGear reports:

Apple has been granted a suspension of the German injunction against 3G-enabled iOS devices, with the iPad WiFi + 3G, iPhone 4 and other gadgets back on sale through the company’s online store. ”All iPad and iPhone models will be back on sale through Apple’s online store in Germany shortly” the company told us in a statement. “Apple appealed this ruling because Motorola repeatedly refuses to license this patent to Apple on reasonable terms, despite having declared it an industry standard patent seven years ago.”

So move along, sir. There ain’t nothing to see here. At least for the time being, because something tells me this is just the beginning of yet another legal pissing contest between Apple and Motorola.

Can’t we just all be friends? I guess not when millions of dollars are at stake.