Microsoft lodges EU complaint against Motorola

Microsoft lodged a formal complaint with the European Union's competition regulator against Google's Motorola Mobility, saying the company's aggressive enforcement of patent rights against rivals breaks competition rules.

The complaint follows a similar step by Apple against Motorola last week. Motorola is in the process of being taken over by Google for $12.5 billion, the biggest acquisition in the Californian company's history. Apple and Microsoft have been hit by legal cases in Europe and the United States, with Motorola claiming that the companies' products are using key patents it owns without permission. Apple and Microsoft, meanwhile, argue that Motorola is overcharging for the use of these patents, which cover technologies necessary to connect wirelessly to the Internet or stream video online.