Microsoft recently announced that they would be suing Motorola over nine Android-related patents, and it seems that Microsoft may have hit a nerve because now Motorola is announcing a lawsuit of its own.  Moto stated today that they plan on suing Apple for allegedly infringing a total of 18 patents with several of its devices, including the iPhone, iPad, and "iTouch."  The patents in question cover both MobileMe and the App Store, as well as technologies like "WCDMA (3G), GPRS, 802.11 and antenna design, and key smartphone technologies including wireless email, proximity sensing, software application management, location-based services and multi-device synchronization."  Along with the lawsuit, Motorola has filed complaints with the United States International Trade Commission, asking that all importation and sales of the infringing Apple products be stopped.  You can check out the full release from Motorola down below.

While we certainly weren't expecting Motorola to sue Apple, this news isn't terribly surprising.  After all, it seems like just about every tech company in existence is either suing another company or is being sued.  I doubt that Moto is going to get the ITC to stop the sale of all infringing Apple products, but it'll be interesting to see how this lawsuit pans out.  Will they end up with some sort of licensing agreement, another type of settlement, or a long court battle?

Motorola Mobility Sues Apple for Patent Infringement
October 06, 2010

LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. – Oct. 6, 2010 – Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) today announced that its subsidiary, Motorola Mobility, Inc., has filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) alleging that Apple’s iPhone, iPad, iTouch and certain Mac computers infringe Motorola patents. Motorola Mobility also filed patent infringement complaints against Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) in the Northern District of Illinois and the Southern District of Florida.

Overall, Motorola Mobility’s three complaints include 18 patents, which relate to early-stage innovations developed by Motorola in key technology areas found on many of Apple’s core products and associated services, including MobileMe and the App Store. The Motorola patents include wireless communication technologies, such as WCDMA (3G), GPRS, 802.11 and antenna design, and key smartphone technologies including wireless email, proximity sensing, software application management, location-based services and multi-device synchronization.

Motorola Mobility has requested that the ITC commence an investigation into Apple’s use of Motorola’s patents and, among other things, issue an Exclusion Order barring Apple’s importation of infringing products, prohibiting further sales of infringing products that have already been imported, and halting the marketing, advertising, demonstration and warehousing of inventory for distribution and use of such imported products in the United States. In the District Court actions, Motorola Mobility has requested that Apple cease using Motorola’s patented technology and provide compensation for Apple’s past infringement.

Kirk Dailey, corporate vice president of intellectual property at Motorola Mobility, said, “Motorola has innovated and patented throughout every cycle of the telecommunications industry evolution, from Motorola’s invention of the cell phone to its development of premier smartphone products. We have extensively licensed our industry-leading intellectual property portfolio, consisting of tens of thousands of patents in the U.S. and worldwide. After Apple’s late entry into the telecommunications market, we engaged in lengthy negotiations, but Apple has refused to take a license. We had no choice but to file these complaints to halt Apple’s continued infringement. Motorola will continue to take all necessary steps to protect its R&D and intellectual property, which are critical to the company’s business.”