Are Motorola phones about to be banned in the USA?

Well, it's not out of the question.

We just might see it happen after the US International Trade Commission (ITC) ruled that some of Lenovo's Motorola devices infringe on Ericsson’s 5G patents. If the ruling is upheld, it could result in a ban on importing these phones into the US, reports Reuters.

The ITC judge’s initial decision marks a significant win for the Sweden-based Ericsson company in its global patent battle against Lenovo. The Chinese-based Lenovo giant owns Motorola, as you know.

The dispute centers on the 5G wireless technology, so stakes are high. Models like the Moto G, Edge, and popular Razr lines are at the heart of the allegations, with Ericsson claiming they use its patented technology without proper licensing. Ouch!

The International Trade Commission is set to issue a final decision on the matter in April. While this initial ruling favors Ericsson, a separate ITC judge ruled in Lenovo’s favor in a related case last month, signaling that the outcome is far from certain.

While I'm not the greatest Motorola fan out there, I'd hate to see an import ban on their smartphones – this will just limit choices in the mid-range and premium phone markets further. Of course, using patented technology without licensing is also not good, so the two companies better sort things out.

OnePlus and Oppo devices, for example, were barred from selling in many countries because of similar 5G dispute. In the summer, Oppo and Ericsson signed a global 5G patent cross-licensing agreement, which is great.

Back to the legal fight between Ericsson and Lenovo, though. It also includes lawsuits in the United Kingdom, South America, and North Carolina. In Brazil and Colombia, courts have already issued preliminary orders banning Lenovo smartphone sales, though a US appeals court recently reopened Lenovo’s bid to block those bans.