Microsoft has filed a patent infringement action against Motorola, issuing the following statement from Horacio Gutierrez, Corporate Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of Intellectual Property and Licensing.

“Microsoft filed an action today in the International Trade Commission and in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington against Motorola, Inc. for infringement of nine Microsoft patents by Motorola’s Android-based smartphones.”

Gutierrez then explained that the patents relate to a range of functionality embodied in Motorola’s Android smartphone devices that are essential to the user experience. These include synchronizing email, calendars and contacts, scheduling meetings, and notifying applications of changes in signal strength and battery power.

“We have a responsibility to our customers, partners, and shareholders to safeguard the billions of dollars we invest each year in bringing innovative software products and services to market. Motorola needs to stop its infringement of our patented inventions in its Android smartphones,” Gutierrez concluded.