If you live in Germany, you won’t be able to purchase an Xbox 360 for at least a little while. Courts in that country have granted Motorola an injunction based on an ongoing patent dispute between them and Microsoft. Also banned are sales of Windows 7 and several other Microsoft programs. Motorola tried to get a similar ruling enforced in the United States, but was told that the case would have to be worked out further before anything like that could happen there.

The dispute stems from Microsoft’s use of the H.254 video compression technology, which was created by Motorola. Microsoft argues that Motorola promised to make the technology available on a fair and reasonable basis, and that they used it based on that promise in a lot of their devices. Microsoft says Motorola is now going back on their agreement.

Sensing that the courts might be more receptive to Motorola’s claims in Germany over other places, Microsoft moved the headquarters of its European operations from that country to the Netherlands last month so the rest of Europe would not affected by the ruling.

‘This is one step in a long process, and we are confident that Motorola will eventually be held to its promise to make its standard essential patents available on fair and reasonable terms for the benefit of consumers who enjoy video on the web,’ said a statement released from Microsoft about the ruling. ‘Motorola is prohibited from acting on today’s decision, and our business in Germany will continue as usual while we appeal this decision and pursue the fundamental issue of Motorola’s broken promise.’