A few months ago, the companies Apple and Microsoft asked the European Union to investigate how the company Motorola uses its rights over FRAND patents, and it seems that the EU made a decision regarding the requests received. Two antitrust investigations were opened against those from Motorola and now the European agencies want to find out if there is any abuse regarding the lawsuits filed by the American company against Apple and Microsoft. The two companies claim that Motorola would have used FRAND patents to sue them and force them to license technologies at exorbitant prices even though it had no right to do so.
Following complaints by Apple and Microsoft, the Commission will investigate, in particular, whether by seeking and enforcing injunctions against Apple's and Microsoft's flagship products such as iPhone, iPad, Windows and Xbox on the basis of patents it had declared essential to produce standard-compliant products, Motorola has failed to honor its irrevocable commitments made to standard setting organizations.
Motorola used patents for 2G/3G/H.264 technologies to sue Apple and Microsoft in an attempt to force the companies either to remove certain products from the market or to license those technologies. Motorola had the obligation to license the technologies in equal and reasonable terms, but it seems that it did not do this and now the EU will investigate it. Samsung is in the same situation because the Korean company applied the same tactic to Motorola and Apple has already asked the European antitrust agency to check how Samsung imposed its rights.
In conclusion, Motorola and Google have quite big problems that will probably cause the EU to apply some fines.
