US appeals court: Apple did not violate Google’s Motorola push notifications patent

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The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit said on Friday that Apple does not use patented technology owned by Google unit Motorola Mobility in making its iPhones. This means Apple is off the hook in regard to Motorola’s assertion of patent infringement.

The appeal court’s ruling upheld a decision by the International Trade Commission in April, which also concluded that the iPhone didn’t violate Google’s patents…

This was first reported by CNBC in a tweet.

The appeal court’s decision makes it clear that the iPhone does not infringe upon Motorola’s Patent Number 6.272,333, covering push notifications. The point of contention was the deletion of apps from a user’s device that send notifications.

The deletion requires a message be sent over a fixed portion of the network indicating that push notifications for the application should be cancelled.

The Google-owned handset maker previously asserted that Apple’s iPhone violates its patent for a sensor that prevents accidental hang-ups, but the ITC found Motorola’s patent involving the proximity sensor to be invalid.

Back in 2010, Motorola accused Apple  of infringing on six of its patents, including one covering reducing signal noise. The ITC ruled in April 2013 that Apple did not violate any of the six and the appeals court addressed just one of the six patents, Reuters reported.

In August 2012, a judge cleared Apple of Motorola’s claims concerning 3G cellular radio technology. Considering Google in 2011 spent $12.5 billion just to get hold of Motorola’s patent trove, Apple obviously should be pleased with the outcome of the appeals court’s decision.