iPad, iPhone Ban Overturned

Apple's enormous profit machine stuttered momentarily in Germany today when Motorola enforced a patent infringement ruling against iPads and iPhones, banning their sale for a short time, the BBC reports. An appeals court yanked the ban after Apple made a new offer to license the patent. "A suspension like this is available only against a bond, but Apple is almost drowning in cash and obviously won't have had a problem with obtaining and posting a bond," wrote a patent consultant in his blog.

At issue was Apple's use of a "a packet radio system" technology in older iPhones and 3G iPads; Motorola and Apple couldn't agree on how much Apple owed for using it up until now. In another patent case, German iPhone users could lose out on push emails using iCloud if Motorola presses the issue. Apple has also filed patent claims of its own against Motorola in Germany. (More iPad stories.)