The first phase of patent trial between Microsoft and Google’s Motorola Mobility unit being heard this month in a US District Court in Seattle has concluded.
Microsoft filed its lawsuit against Motorola, since acquired by Google for $12.5b, because it said the company was asking too much for the use of its patents.
Google said that Microsoft will make over $94bn in revenue up to 2017 from its Xbox game console and Surface tablet that use its patented wireless technology.
Michael Dansky, an expert for Motorola was quoted by Reuters as saying that the $94bn figure he cited also includes a wireless adapter that Microsoft no longer sells.
Motorola had sought about $4bn per year for its wireless and video patents, while Microsoft argues its rival deserves just more than $1m a year.
The US District Judge hearing the case, James Robart, asked both the firms to file further legal briefs by 14 December this year.
According to Reuters, if Robart decides Google deserves only a small royalty, then its Motorola patents would be a weaker bargaining chip for Google to negotiate licensing deals with rivals.
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The second phase of the trial is expected move to a jury to decide whether Motorola breached an implied contract.
In February this year, Microsoft had asked EU antitrust regulators to intervene in a patent dispute with Google and Motorola, saying that Motorola is aggressively enforcing patent rights against rivals to stymie competition.
