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Moto unit sues Apple over Android-phone patents

A Motorola Inc. unit sued computer manufacturer Apple Inc. asking a court to rule it doesn't infringe 12 Apple patents for mobile telephone technology, and that the patents aren't valid.

Motorola Mobility Inc. contends in an Oct. 8 lawsuit that Apple has “a history of asserting the patents-in-suit,” and that it has “a reasonable apprehension” Apple will sue Motorola over its phones with Google Inc.'s Android operating system.

Motorola seeks a jury trial, non-infringement and patent- invalidity rulings and an award of legal fees and costs from Apple, according to papers filed in federal court in Wilmington, Delaware.

The patent action is the latest in a series of lawsuits involving the two companies. The unit of Schaumburg-based Motorola Inc. filed three lawsuits and a trade complaint against Cupertino, California-based Apple on Oct. 6 alleging infringement of 18 patents.

Kristin Huguet, an Apple spokeswoman, didn't immediately return a voicemail message seeking comment on the lawsuit.

Motorola, with $22 billion in sales last year, rose 4 cents to $8.34 in New York Stock Exchange composite trading at 2:27 p.m. Apple, with $42.9 billion in fiscal 2009 sales, rose $2.58 to $296.65 on the Nasdaq Stock Market.

The new Delaware case is Motorola Mobility Inc. v. Apple Inc., U.S. District Court, District of Delaware (Wilmington).

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