Microsoft has been in legal proceedings with Motorola Mobility long before the smartphone company was acquired by Google earlier in 2012. Now Microsoft and Google are set to start a trial in Seattle later this month to address Microsoft's challenges to Motorola's patent prices.

However, Reuters reports that Google is already trying to keep much of what is discussed in the trial a secret. The report claims that Google has issued a request to the judge in the case, US District Judge James Robart, to not only seal off public access to certain documents but to even clear out the courtroom itself during some parts of the trial.

Google is apparently concerned that certain company secrets might come out as part of the trial. However, the story claims that a number of legal experts are concerned that companies such as Google are going to such great lengths to keep some information private during trials such as this one.

Law professor Dennis Crouch believes that actions taken by Google and other organizations to keep secrets in court cases does ultimate infringe on the principle that all activities in court should be public.

Microsoft originally filed a lawsuit against Motorola in 2010, claiming that Motorola broke a promise to license standard patents at a reasonable rate. The trial is set to begin in this case on November 13. So far, the judge has yet to rule on Google's requests to keep some parts of the trial secret.

Source: Reuters

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