US judge re-opens Apple v. Motorola case

A LAWSUIT between Apple and Motorola is back on, as a judge has agreed to hear the Cupertino company's request for an injunction against the sale of certain Motorola handsets.

Last week, Judge Richard Posner cancelled a trial between the Apple and Motorola, ruling that neither firm had successfully made arguments that supported awarding significant damages. However, Posner has now had a change of heart, announcing that he's agreed to hear Apple's request for an injunction before he makes his final decision.

Posner didn't say why he changed his mind, but said that the hearing will be an opportunity for both parties to argue their cases. He added that both Apple and Motorola need to be prepared for the possibility that no injunction will be granted.

However, it looks like Apple can go into the hearing feeling fairly optimistic. As reported by Reuters, Posner issued a series of pre-trial rulings that eliminated nearly all of Motorola's patent claims against Apple, while maintaining more of Apple's claims against Motorola. The injunction hearing has been set for 20 June.

Neither Apple nor Motorola could be reached for comment at the time of writing. µ