USPTO Rejects Claims Asserted by Motorola

In 2007, Motorola asserted four patents against Aruba Networks, a maker of wireless LANs and secure mobility solutions.  Aruba soon filed a counter suit alleging that Motorola infringed on two of their own patents, while also requesting the USPTO re-examine all four patents based on prior art.  Earlier today, Aruba announced that the USPTO had issued a preliminary re-examination report that rejected one of the patents asserted by Motorola in 2007.

According to CNNMoney.com, requests for re-examination are often successful in having the patent either changed or completely revoked.  The rejected patent was actually owned by a Motorola subsidiary, Wireless Valley, and Aruba claimed that Wireless Valley’s user manual predated its patent application by over twelve months.  Wireless Valley failed to provide this manual in full to the USPTO, and apparently this was enough for the patent to become invalidated.  The three other re-examinations are still pending.

As for the countersuit, Aruba is seeking a permanent injunction against use of its patented technologies, as well as monetary damages.  The first patent in question was assumed by Aruba as part of its acquisition of AirWave Wireless, while the second was issued to Aruba in May of 2008.