Motorola has won a legal battle against Microsoft in a German court, the latest in a number of cases which have seen the European nation become a battleground for smartphone manufacturers.

A court in Mannheim ruled that Motorola had not infringed upon a Microsoft patent which enables software developers to create apps compatible with a variety of handsets.

Google-owned Motorola will find the ruling especially important due to the wide range of handsets on which its parent-company’s Android platform runs.

Germany has been the backdrop for a number of cases involving technology firms recently due to the relatively fast and inexpensive legal process which exists within the country. German judges have awarded Microsoft a succession of three victories against Motorola in recent times which have seen several of the US manufacturer’s devices withdrawn from sale in German stores.

However, these earlier cases do not appear to be affected by the most recent ruling. David Howard, Microsoft’s associate general counsel said of the case: “This decision does not impact multiple injunctions Microsoft has already been awarded and has enforced against Motorola products in Germany.”

Motorola found itself on the losing side of another legal battle in a German court last month, with Apple having taken action over a particular aspect of the iOS user interface which the Google-owned firm is alleged to have copied.

Earlier this year, Motorola emerged victorious from a dispute with the Cupertino-based company which saw some iPhone and iPads taken off sale in German stores.