Apple has claimed Motorola Mobility has no legal standing to fight two of its patent battles thanks to the proposed acquisition by Google.

The iPhone maker is fighting a number of legal battles with Motorola in various states including Florida and Wisconsin with both asserting patents against each other.

Google has no ownership interest in the patents. Google has no right to license, assign, or encumber the patents, and no right even to practice the patents.

Apple has now claimed Motorola doesn't have the right to sue in those two states, due to restrictions over enforcing patents thanks to the Google acquisition.

This could mean the cases will not progress until Google's acquisition goes through, if it eventually does.

According to IP expert Florian Mueller, Apple's lawyers said in a court filing that "Motorola has surrendered critical rights in the patents-in-suit, such that Motorola no longer has prudential standing to pursue this action."

"According to the publicly-filed Merger Agreement, Motorola has ceded control of the most basic rights regarding the patents-in-suit," Apple's lawyers claimed.

"Absent Google's consent, Motorola cannot: (1) sue for infringement of its patents in any new action; (2) settle pending litigation (including this case) that would require a license to any of its patents; (3) license or sublicense its patents except in limited circumstances relating to the sale of Motorola's products; (4) assign its rights in its patents; and/or (5) grant a covenant not to sue for infringement of its patents."