Microsoft's Lumia Windows Phones face an import ban in the US

posted by Mihai A. / Apr 28, 2015, 12:36 PM

Microsoft's Lumia Windows Phones face an import ban in the US

The United States International Trade Commission (USITC) ruled yesterday that Microsoft's Windows Phones infringe on a pair of patents owned by InterDigital without the latter's permission. After losing the first round in this court battle, Microsoft could see its Lumia Windows Phone handsets banned from import in the US, although this decision is not final.

According to Judge Theodore Essex, Microsoft's handsets infringe on a couple of wireless cellular patents owned by InterDigital. InterDigital has a long history of court battles against Lumia smartphones. Back in 2007, the Washington-based patent licencee sued Nokia, but although InterDigital lost the first ruling, it won the second round in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, with the case being sent back to the USITC. InterDigital has also filed for lawsuits against other smartphone manufacturers such as Huawei, Samsung, and ZTE.

Microsoft can and will challenge this decision, as this ruling will need to be inspected by a full commission before an import ban is instated on Lumia handsets. This second inspection is expected to come to a conclusion later this summer. If the full commission does not overthrow the recent ruling, Microsoft will see an import ban being instated on most of its Lumia smartphones.

source: Re/code

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23 Comments

1. Cheezwiz

Posts: 437; Member since: Dec 29, 2014

Considering the MS marketshare in the US, we're talking about what, a couple boxes of phones, right?

posted on Apr 28, 2015, 12:43 PM 14

2. seven7dust unregistered

LOl! not only that but they seem to patent troll Android OEMS and force them to pay free money for no real reasons other than monopoly. so they deserve it , how ironic if it happens , hope Obama doesn't step in, MS deserves some pain.

posted on Apr 28, 2015, 12:56 PM 2

10. Penny

Posts: 1844; Member since: Feb 04, 2011

In other words, "I don't know the reasons, therefore they must not exist."

posted on Apr 28, 2015, 1:25 PM 2

12. Crispin_Gatieza

Posts: 3038; Member since: Jan 23, 2014

You don't know why MS collects licensing fees for Android do you? Obviously not, otherwise you wouldn't have posted such a stupid comment. Put down the game console and open a f**king book every now and then.

posted on Apr 28, 2015, 1:41 PM 12

22. eN16HTMAR3

Posts: 253; Member since: Oct 08, 2013

It's people like you who really show their stupidity by making remarks like this. If someone states something that is wrong. Correct them, but don't belittle anyone for not knowing something.

posted on Apr 28, 2015, 5:34 PM 1

29. meanestgenius

Posts: 21006; Member since: May 28, 2014

Question: what makes you think that seven7dust doesn't really know why Microsoft collects patent fees from Android OEM's? How do you know he's really not just trolling?

posted on Apr 28, 2015, 7:36 PM 0

37. corporateJP

Posts: 2458; Member since: Nov 28, 2009

He's Captain of his own banana boat, so he thinks he's better than everyone...

posted on Apr 29, 2015, 2:40 AM 1

19. khanderson006

Posts: 1; Member since: Apr 28, 2015

perhaps you should let Microsoft know they have a monopoly in the phone business. I'm sure they would love to hear that. Is Obama helping Microsoft a thing now?

posted on Apr 28, 2015, 4:52 PM 2

4. Scott93274

Posts: 6019; Member since: Aug 06, 2013

Dang, Microsoft cannot catch a break in their mobile hardware department.

posted on Apr 28, 2015, 12:56 PM 0

6. o0Exia0o

Posts: 903; Member since: Feb 01, 2013

Surly not....Obama will come to their rescue like he did with Apple....

posted on Apr 28, 2015, 1:01 PM 1

14. sprockkets

Posts: 1612; Member since: Jan 16, 2012

He can't. This isn't the ITC. The gov can't negate it.

posted on Apr 28, 2015, 2:45 PM 1

15. o0Exia0o

Laws....When has that ever mattered to the Government?

posted on Apr 28, 2015, 2:51 PM 1

16. Doakie

Posts: 2443; Member since: May 06, 2009

Let me Google that for you... http://www.phonearena.com/news/President-Obama-vetoes-the-ban-on-sales-of-some-Apple-products_id46040

posted on Apr 28, 2015, 3:00 PM 2

17. sprockkets

Wrong response. I of course know what happened with apple, but was led of track due to other mentions of the federal court of appeals, who are infamous in their lousy opinions of tech matters.

posted on Apr 28, 2015, 3:15 PM 0

13. hemedans

Posts: 744; Member since: Jun 01, 2013

I like it when nokia counter sue

posted on Apr 28, 2015, 2:12 PM 0

18. Maxim6194

Posts: 9; Member since: Dec 24, 2012

This is awful reporting. No where in the re/code article does it say which or even anything close to "Microsoft will see an import ban being instated on most of its Lumia smartphones". Tell us which ones.

posted on Apr 28, 2015, 3:30 PM 5

27. phonton

Posts: 65; Member since: Dec 27, 2011

"Proof-reading" not a part in article development in PA

posted on Apr 28, 2015, 6:45 PM 2

21. elitewolverine

Posts: 5192; Member since: Oct 28, 2013

No different than google inheriting Motorola's patent fight. Will be interesting, I will surely bet that they will bring down the house and MS will walk away scott free.

posted on Apr 28, 2015, 5:31 PM 1

25. Chuck007

Posts: 1408; Member since: Mar 02, 2014

I really hate these patent troll companies. It's almost like their primary source of revenue is leaching off larger companies.

posted on Apr 28, 2015, 6:33 PM 0

38. corporateJP

True, but Microsoft made money off of leaching other companies (ask Danger, Nortel, and Nokia, among others), so the chickens are coming home to roost....

posted on Apr 29, 2015, 2:47 AM 1

33. Taters

Posts: 6474; Member since: Jan 28, 2013

Eh, why aren't they going after Apple?

posted on Apr 28, 2015, 10:00 PM 0

34. Chuck007

Maybe they're secretly under contract to sue their competitors *cough*

posted on Apr 29, 2015, 12:25 AM 1

35. joey_sfb

Posts: 6794; Member since: Mar 29, 2012

Make no sense why target a player with so little market share. Should just target Samsung or Apple. 1% of profit from either will make the patent trolling worth while.