Google's Motorola unit faces being forced to recall its Android tablets and smartphones from Germany after losing a patent lawsuit against Apple, BBC News reports.

The case relates to one of the innovations at the heart of an earlier U.S. case in which Samsung was defeated by the iPhone maker. The dispute focused on the iOS system's bounce-back list feature which Motorola was found to have infringed.

Apple has to formally request a sales ban before it would come into effect. Google has not issued a statement, but is expected to appeal.

The ruling was issued at a court in Munich on Thursday, Sept 13.

Google had challenged the validity of the patent which describes a way to make a list react as if it was on a rubberband when a user scrolls beyond its end. The search giant has also filed a separate challenge against the intellectual property with the European Patent Office.

Tech consultant Florian Mueller, who does work for Google, said it would be relatively easy for the firm to revise its software to mean it no longer risked a patent infringement.

The basic version of Google's Android operating system displays a glow effect when a user reaches the end of a list. So, the firm could revise an adapted version used on Motorola devices to abandon their use of an added bounce-back feature.

However, he added that if Apple posted a bond of 25m euro ($32.6m), it could now force the devices off shop shelves, and for an additional sum it could have them destroyed or recalled.

Motorola briefly forced Apple to stop selling some of its iPads and iPhones in Germany in February after a separate lawsuit.