Why US may ban import of Motorola smartphones

The US International Trade Commission (ITC) has ruled that Lenovo’s Motorola Mobility has infringed on Ericsson’s 5G wireless technology patents. This preliminary victory for Sweden-based Ericsson could potentially lead to a ban on US imports of the infringing Motorola smartphones if the final ruling upholds the decision. An ITC judge determined that Motorola’s smartphones violate Ericsson’s patent rights, escalating the international patent licensing dispute between the two companies. The full commission is set to issue a final ruling in April. However, in a related case last month, another ITC judge ruled in favour of Lenovo.