Microsoft to Add Google Into Motorola Lawsuit Over Android

Microsoft claims that digitally overlaying maps is owned by the software giant.

Following Motorola's rare German lawsuit victory against software giant Microsoft, the latter company is due to add the former's parent company Google into another lawsuit over Android.

Microsoft stated that Google's Android mobile platform infringes its software patents. However, until now, the firm has thus far pursued handset firms for the payment of royalties as opposed to Google itself.

In a court in Munich, Microsoft said, in what would mark the first time the two technology companies have directly battled in court over Android, Google will be added as a defendant in a case that sees the former saying a mapping feature on Motorola smartphones infringes one of its patents.

"It became necessary to add Google to this particular case because Motorola maintains that it lacks sufficient information about actions occurring on Google's servers," said a Microsoft spokesperson.

The lawsuit claims Motorola infringed on patents that involves Google Maps overlaying multiple map data. For instance, in order to overlay two sets of data, a device will obtain a map from one database, then utilize information such as the location of a business stemming from a second database.

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