Apple loses Slide to Unlock patent in a lawcase at the German Supreme Court

Apple has suffered yet another setback in its Bleak House lawsuits, with another German court deciding to throw out its slide-to-unlock patent.

Judges on Tuesday said that the iPhone maker’s method didn’t reach a level of sophistication needed to award patent protection -- backing an earlier patent tribunal ruling in favor of Lenovo Group Ltd.’s Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc.

“This user-friendly display was already suggested by the state of the art,” the Karlsruhe-based court wrote. “The contested patent thus isn’t based on an invention.”

Apple’s German press office didn’t immediately reply to an e-mail seeking comment.

Samsung Electronics Co. had initially joined Motorola Mobility in the case, but later withdrew.

In 2012, Apple won a Munich court injunction against Motorola Mobility based on the patent. That case is pending on appeal and was stayed to wait for the outcome of Tuesday’s suit.