Motorola smartphones could be banned in the US for violating patents

Motorola and Lenovo are again in hot waters for patent infringement that could lead to a ban on Motorola phones in the US. In its initial ruling on Tuesday, The US International Trade Commission ruled in Ericsson’s favor, stating that Motorola’s Moto G, Moto Edge, and Razr phones violated the Swedish networking giant’s patents related to 5G wireless technology.

The ITC is set to issue a final ruling in April 2025 and if the decision is upheld it could effectively bar Motorola from selling phones in the US market, according to Reuters. With a 14% market share, Lenovo-owned Motorola is currently the third biggest smartphone player in the US. A sales ban can seriously hurt Motorola’s lucrative US smartphone business and allow competitors like OnePlus to catch up and eat away at its market share. That said, both parties have plenty of time to resolve the dispute and reach a mutual settlement before the final ruling next year.

Ericsson filed the complaint with the US trade tribunal last year, claiming that phones from Moto G, Edge, and Razr lineups infringed its 5G wireless patents. While Lenovo denied any wrongdoing at the time, it has yet to issue a statement following the latest ITC verdict in Ericsson’s favor.

Ericsson has also sued Lenovo and Motorola for patent infringement in several other markets, including South America, the UK, and North Carolina. Back in May, Motorola phones were banned in Germany following a similar patent dispute with the US technology firm InterDigital; the dispute lasted five months before both companies reached a licensing deal.