Will Apple Be Granted a MAJOR Reprieve?

A U.S. trade panel said Monday it will revisit an initial ruling that Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) infringed one of four patents asserted by Motorola Mobility, which has been acquired by Google (NASDAQ:GOOG).

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International Trade Commission Judge Thomas Pender had said in a preliminary ruling that Apple infringed on a patent for eliminating noise and other interference during voice and data transmissions with its iPhone. Motorola had originally accused Apple of violating three other patents — including one for touchscreen technology — but Apple was found to have infringed just one.

Motorola had asked that the infringing devices be barred from importation into the United States, a ruling on which is expected in August.

The ITC, which investigates patent infringement involving imported goods, is a popular venue for patent suits because it has the ability to bar importation of infringing products. It also issues decisions relatively quickly compared to other courts.

The panel was also expected to have issued a ruling Monday on patent infringement claims between Motorola and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT). However, the commission postponed that decision another week as it announced plans to reopen the Apple-Motorola case.

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