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Apple Patent Suit Is Dismissed

A federal judge on Monday threw out Apple’s lawsuit against Google’s Motorola Mobility unit that claimed patent abuse, a setback for the iPhone maker in its efforts to gain leverage in the smartphone patent wars.

The two rivals were to square off in Federal District Court in Madison, Wis., on Monday over the library of patents that Google acquired along with Motorola for $12.5 billion in May. Apple contended that Motorola’s licensing practices were unfair.

But Judge Barbara B. Crabb questioned late last week whether she had the legal authority to hear Apple’s claims, and on Monday she dismissed the case.