A federal judge in the US has dismissed a patent case between Apple and Motorola on the grounds that neither side was able to prove damages.
Judge Richard Posner, who has been critical of the case since the outset, initially delayed the start of the hearing which was set for Monday, but has now gone one step further and dismissed it completely.
Posner said: "I have tentatively decided that the case should be dismissed with the prejudice because neither party can establish a right to relief."
Google pleased with the decision
The order is only temporary for now as Posner fully reviews the case - a firm decision should be made within the next few weeks.
This is good news for Google-owned Motorola, which will be glad to see the back of Apple's lawyers for the time being.
Google issued a statement following Posner's decision: "We are pleased by the Illinois trial court's tentative ruling today dismissing Apple's patent claims and look forward to receiving the full decision."
There's more good news for Google, as Oracle has been ordered to pay the search giant's legal fees, totalling $300,000 (around £195,000), after losing a court case over Android and Java.