Is This Apple Patent Win in Danger?

Apple’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) win against Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) unit Motorola in a patent-infringement case is under threat after the U.S. International Trade Commission said it would review its earlier decision, Bloomberg reported.

The regulatory body said it would revisit the decision of one of its judges that cleared Apple of infringement charges on a specific Motorola patent. The ruling included a decision to allow Apple to continue selling the iPhone in the U.S.

Administrative Law Judge Thomas Pender invalidated a patent owned by Motorola Mobility in December and cleared Apple of all infringement charges. The patent was related to a sensor that turns off a phone’s display when raised to a user’s ear, and helps prevent accidental hang-ups and other erroneous touch commands.

Judge Pender found that Motorola’s patent for a Sensor controlled user interface for portable communication device was not substantially different from previous similar properties. While the Google unit claimed that the earlier patent was limited to physical push buttons while the latest one covered touch screens, the judge denied the assertion of difference…