A US appeals court on Friday ruled that Google's Motorola Mobility unit cannot implement a patent ban that it obtained against Microsoft in Germany.
The injunction would have barred Microsoft from "offering, marketing, using or importing or possessing" in Germany some products including the Xbox 360 and certain Windows software.
According to Microsoft, Motorola's patents are standard, essential parts of its software and that Motorola is asking too much in royalties for their use. Google closed on its $12.5 billion Motorola Mobility acquisition this year.
According to US District Judge James Robart, the ruling would remain in effect until he could determine whether Motorola could appropriately seek a sales ban based on its standard essential patents.
