A US federal judge has dismissed Apple's patent-infringement suit against the newly Google-owned Motorola Mobility.

Days before the case was scheduled to go to trial, Judge Richard A. Posner tentatively rejected both sides' claims for damages pending a lengthier decision. "I have tentatively decided that the case should be dismissed with prejudice because neither party can establish a right to relief," Posner wrote. "I may change my mind," he stipulated.

Apple's suit accuses Motorola of infringing on four patents, whose technology the company claims was used in Motorola mobile phones and tablets. Motorola claimed Apple infringed on one patent related to cellular communications.

Though the ruling does not signal a final decision, Posner's order means he did not believe either side's expert testimony and believed it should not be presented to jurors. The judge will review the case to decide whether either side is entitled to an injunction and, consequently, a bench trial.

Apple is currently entangled in a number of patent infringement cases, against the likes of Samsung, Google and HTC.

Google recently purchased Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion (£8 billion) to bolster its own patent holdings.