ITC judge finds Apple in violation of one Motorola Wi-Fi patent

The judge's findings are still subject to review by the six members of the ITC, according to Bloomberg. But the ruling by ITC Judge Thomas Pender puts Motorola one step closer to potentially blocking the importation of Apple devices like the iPhone and iPad.

Pender found that Apple violated just one of four patents that Motorola had claimed in its ITC case. Motorola Mobility's entire patent portfolio will soon be Google's, presuming Chinese authorities approve the $12.5 billion acquisition.

The other three patents cited by Motorola in the case are related to the way a server tracks available applications, proximity sensors to prevent accidental button presses, and another related to Wi-Fi.

Motorola first sued Apple for alleged patent infringement in October of 2010. The original complaint included 18 total patents, ranging from 3G, to GPRS, to 802.11 wireless and antenna design.

The decision revealed on Tuesday is the second victory in as many days for Motorola. On Monday, ITC Judge David Shaw ruled that Microsoft's Xbox gaming consoles infringe on patents owned by Motorola Mobility.