A federal judge has tossed out another patent Motorola Mobility (MMI) was trying to assert against Apple in the epic court battle between the two companies. The ruling means that Motorola has been winnowed down to one patent out of the six it was originally trying to assert, while Apple has four patents out of the original 15 it was asserting.
MMI, which is now owned by Google, and Apple are each accusing the other of infringing on patent with their smartphones and tablets. Apple has asserted a variety of patents relating to the way Android works, while MMI has asserted several standards-essential patents involved in the way Apple’s iPhones and iPads work on wireless networks.
According to FOSS Patents, Motorola’s remaining patent is for a, “method for generating preamble sequences in a code division multiple access system.” Sexy stuff, for sure, but while MMI is down to one patent, FOSS’s Florian Mueller pointed out that it only takes one for MMI to win a victory.
At the same time, while Apple still has four patents in the ring, Judge Richard Posner may not be finished with his whittling efforts. The judge has been very serious about narrowing the case, and has even warned Apple to stop making frivolous filings.
The trial is currently scheduled to start next week.