Web giant Google is facing a ban on its application Google Maps in Germany over a patent dispute with Microsoft.
A Munich judge has reportedly held Google and subsidiary company Motorola Mobility responsible for infringing a key mapping patent by Microsoft, which is seeking an
injunction against the Google Maps service, the Telegraph reports.
According to a patent expert, the patent is a computer system for identifying local resources.
Google, which has been unable to convince the court that the patent does not apply to the technology used in its mapping services, will have to disable Google Maps from all computers using a German IP address in order to comply with the likely injunction, the report added.
Also, if the injunction comes through then Google will have to stop shipping the Google Maps Android app and only distribute web browsers in Germany if they use Internet filters to block access to Google Maps.
In order to maintain the service, Google will also have to pay royalties to Microsoft for the Microsoft intellectual property that it uses for its maps, the report further said.