In what apparently will be a notable setback for Apple in its attempts to prove that the Android-based devices ‘copy’ the iPhone, the US International Trade Commission (ITC)’s early ruling in the Apple-Motorola Mobility patent infringement battle has gone the way of Motorola Mobility.

While the lawsuit filed by Apple chiefly claimed that Android smartphone-maker Motorola Mobility had violated Apple’s patents – two of them liked to touch-screen technology -, ITC Judge Theodore Essex said in the early ruling in Washington that Motorola Mobility had not infringed on Apple’s rights on three patents in question.

Despite the fact that the Friday ruling is far from being ITC’s final word in the Apple-Motorola patent infringement fight, and that Apple still faces approval of a six-member panel of the commission, the verdict nonetheless indicates that there could be potential problems in store for Apple --- more so as Apple and Motorola have taken the legal route against each other in federal court as well as with the ITC since 2010.

It was Motorola which first alleged that Apple was violating an array of its patents, pertaining to GPRS, 3G, and 802.11 technologies, antenna design, proximity sensing, and device synchronization, among others; and Apple instantly responded with its countersuits which claimed violation of Apple's own intellectual property by Motorola's Android-powered handsets.

Noting that the Friday ruling by the ITC marked “favorable outcome for Motorola Mobility,” the company’s general counsel Scott Offer said in a statement: “Motorola Mobility has worked hard over the years to develop technology and build an industry-leading intellectual property portfolio.”