Tag Archives: patent infringement

Microsoft wins injunction against Motorola in German court, aims to strike patent license deal

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Motorola and Microsoft are no strangers to the patent war tango, and today marks the third injunction against the Droid maker in the German court. Judge Dr. Guntz of the Munich I regional court ruled that Motorola infringes on a Microsoft patent for "soft input panel system and method," granting Microsoft the ability to ban sales of some Motorola devices in the country. Essentially, the patent in question covers the software required to let applications flexibly receive input from different sources, such as the touchscreen keyboard and voice input.

As Florian Mueller of Foss Patents points out, the functionality covered by this patent is utilized by the vast majority of apps, and among Android device makers only Google-owned Motorola Mobility is not paying Microsoft a patent license for this feature. Microsoft Corporate Vice President David Howard issued a statement with a not-so-subtle dig at the company in question: "We will continue to enforce injunctions against Motorola products in Germany and hope Motorola will join other Android device makers by taking a license to Microsoft's patented inventions." Google can (and most certainly will) appeal the ruling, so the saga continues...

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Microsoft wins injunction against Motorola in German court, aims to strike patent license deal originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Sep 2012 11:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple adds Samsung’s Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note and Galaxy Note 10.1 to ongoing patent lawsuit

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The Apple v. Samsung patent war that will seemingly never end has taken another turn today, as Apple is asking the court to add newer Samsung Galaxy hardware, including the Galaxy S III, Verizon Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note and Galaxy Note 10.1 to its complaint against the Galaxy Nexus and other related devices. If you thought updated software and designs would keep these newer smartphones and tablets out of the fight -- you were wrong. Just to help you keep things straight, remember this is a separate case from the one that ended exactly a week ago with a decision in Apple's favor to the tune of more than $1 billion in damages.

At issue here are eight of Apple's utility patents that it says Samsung has infringed upon. The headliner patents at issue are '721 which covers slide to unlock, and '604, which could apply to the universal search feature Samsung has been pulling from its phones recently. Another familiar entry is the '647 patent Apple slapped HTC with in 2010, which has a vague description but applies to clicking on a phone number in an email, for example, to call it. You can read the details on each and every one in the PDF linked below, we'll be doing... anything else.

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Apple adds Samsung's Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note and Galaxy Note 10.1 to ongoing patent lawsuit originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 21:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google on Apple v. Samsung: most infringed patents ‘don’t relate to the core Android operating system’

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When the jury in Apple v. Samsung handed down its verdict on Friday, we watched Apple take a victory lap and heard Samsung warn of hampered competition, but one company remained conspicuously silent: Google. This weekend, though, Mountain View finally released a statement, insisting that while Samsung lost the trial, the ruling doesn't actually implicate Android. "The court of appeals will review both infringement and the validity of the patent claims. Most of these don't relate to the core Android operating system," the company said, noting that several of these patents are being revisited by the US Patent Office. Still, buried in that statement is an implicit acknowledgment that if Samsung can't reverse the decision on appeal, innovation among Android devices might well be be stifled:

"The mobile industry is moving fast and all players - including newcomers - are building upon ideas that have been around for decades. We work with our partners to give consumers innovative and affordable products, and we don't want anything to limit that."

Of course, Samsung has indeed said it intends to appeal (and an internal memo reported by CNET corroborates this), so it would seem that the proxy battle against Android is far from over, and the drone of legalese is sure to continue.

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Google on Apple v. Samsung: most infringed patents 'don't relate to the core Android operating system' originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Aug 2012 09:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceBBC, All Things D, CNET  | Email this | Comments

Google on Apple v. Samsung: most infringed patents ‘don’t relate to the core Android operating system’

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When the jury in Apple v. Samsung handed down its verdict on Friday, we watched Apple take a victory lap and heard Samsung warn of hampered competition, but one company remained conspicuously silent: Google. This weekend, though, Mountain View finally released a statement, insisting that while Samsung lost the trial, the ruling doesn't actually implicate Android. "The court of appeals will review both infringement and the validity of the patent claims. Most of these don't relate to the core Android operating system," the company said, noting that several of these patents are being revisited by the US Patent Office. Still, buried in that statement is an implicit acknowledgment that if Samsung can't reverse the decision on appeal, innovation among Android devices might well be be stifled:

"The mobile industry is moving fast and all players - including newcomers - are building upon ideas that have been around for decades. We work with our partners to give consumers innovative and affordable products, and we don't want anything to limit that."

Of course, Samsung has indeed said it intends to appeal (and an internal memo reported by CNET corroborates this), so it would seem that the proxy battle against Android is far from over, and the drone of legalese is sure to continue.

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Google on Apple v. Samsung: most infringed patents 'don't relate to the core Android operating system' originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Aug 2012 09:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceBBC, All Things D, CNET  | Email this | Comments

Apple SVP Eddy Cue wanted 7-inch iPad in 2011, internal email says

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During today's proceedings at the Apple vs. Samsung patent infringement trial in Northern California, an internal Apple email came to light, where Senior Vice President of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue suggested that the company manufacture a 7-inch tablet, anticipating a market for a smaller slate. The email reportedly dates back to January of 2011, and was sent to Scott Forstall, Tim Cook and Phil Schiller, according to The Next Web. AllThingsD added that the topic originated with an email from a reporter, who shared that they had switched to a 7-inch Samsung tablet from the iPad, because they found the smaller size of the Tab more appealing. Cue reportedly agreed with the findings, and made his own suggestion. That email hasn't led to a smaller form-factor iPad to date, but with rumors heating up around an upcoming "iPad Mini," it's possible that Apple's compact tablet could one day arrive. And Cue was right -- there's clearly demand for a 7-inch tablet. Update: Read the email for yourself after the break.

Continue reading Apple SVP Eddy Cue wanted 7-inch iPad in 2011, internal email says

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Apple SVP Eddy Cue wanted 7-inch iPad in 2011, internal email says originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Aug 2012 17:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceAll Things D, The Next Web, CNET  | Email this | Comments

InterDigital wins appeal in never-ending Nokia patent battle

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Interdigital

We'll leave labeling of InterDigital to the individual -- whether you prefer patent troll or non-practicing entity, the semantics don't concern us. What does concern us, however, is the IP firm's ongoing legal battle with Nokia, and its recent victory over the Finnish manufacturer in the US Court of Appeals. The ruling reverses a previous decision handed down by the ITC that found Nokia did not violate InterDigital's patents, but the trio of judges hearing the appeal disagreed. The claims in question relate to 3G radios and networks -- the same patents that the firm used to target ZTE and Huawei. It doesn't appear that there will be any immediate repercussions for Nokia, either in the form of import bans or settlement fees. The Windows Phone champion is considering its next move, which may involve appealing the appeal.

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InterDigital wins appeal in never-ending Nokia patent battle originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Aug 2012 09:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mojang sued for alleged patent infringement in Android version of Minecraft

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Mojang has seen the sort of success that most game developers dream of with Minecraft, but it looks like it's now also found itself thrust into the rarely desirable world of patent lawsuits. As revealed by Minecraft creator Notch himself on Twitter, Mojang is being sued by the Texas-based Uniloc (which has also taken aim at Electronic Arts, Gameloft and others) over some alleged patent infringement in the Android version of Minecraft. That supposed infringement is not related to any of the distinctive gaming elements of Minecraft, but rather the means through which the game verifies users -- something Uniloc alleges is a violation of patent #6,857,067, a "system and method for preventing unauthorized access to electronic data." Not surprisingly, Notch has taken the opportunity to make his thoughts on software patents known (see his blog post below), and also make absolutely clear that he intends to fight the suit, saying that "if needed, I will throw piles of money at making sure they don't get a cent." That's also prompted a response from Uniloc CEO Ric Richardson, who notes that he had no direct involvement in this particular patent or suit, but defends the company's practices and insists that it is not a patent troll.

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Mojang sued for alleged patent infringement in Android version of Minecraft originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Jul 2012 11:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceBBC News, The Word of Notch, Ric Richardson  | Email this | Comments

Import ban on select Motorola Android products starts today

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It's been a few months since the International Trade Commission affirmed its decision to ban a selection of Motorola's Android portfolio from import, but the ruling will only start in earnest from today. While the ITC mentioned the likes of the Google-powered Atrix, Xoom, Droid 2 -- alongside a whole pile of lesser-known models-- the exclusion covers all Motorola devices that infringe on Microsoft's patents for email-based meeting scheduling. Motorola has stated that it has already been proactive in ensuring its phones remain available in the US -- the ruling won't affect devices already in stock.

In its own words: "In view of the ITC exclusion order which becomes effective Wednesday with respect to the single ActiveSync patent upheld in Microsoft's ITC-744 proceeding, Motorola has taken proactive measures to ensure that our industry-leading smartphones remain available to consumers in the U.S. We respect the value of intellectual property and expect other companies to do the same."

Import ban on select Motorola Android products starts today originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jul 2012 09:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ITC denies Apple’s request for emergency ban against HTC products

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ITC denies Apple's request for emergency ban against HTC

Just like they have been, products like the One X and EVO 4G LTE will continue to pour through US Customs, as the ITC has now denied Apple's request for an emergency ban against the alleged infringing products. The news follows Apple's request for an emergency ban itself, in which the Cupertino outfit accused HTC of making false statements in order to bypass the terms of an exclusion order issued last December. In the most recent ruling, the ITC found that, "Apple has not demonstrated the propriety of temporary emergency action," and went on to state, "the commission will not direct Customs to detain all subject HTC products because the commission does not have the information necessary to determine whether the respondents are currently violating the commission's limited exclusion order." Just yesterday, the ITC began an investigation to determine whether HTC's products continue to violate a patent held by Apple, which would be a violation of December's exclusion order. Until the ITC issues a more definitive finding, however, it seems that HTC can breathe a sigh of relief.

ITC denies Apple's request for emergency ban against HTC products originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Jul 2012 22:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google to pay $0 in damages to Oracle, wait for appeal

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Google to pay $0 in damages to Oracle, wait for appeal

After watching Judge Alsup strike down its patent and Java API infringement claims, Oracle seems to be cutting its losses, agreeing to accept $0 in damages from Google. Confused? So was the Judge, who reportedly responded to the proposal by asking, "is there a catch I need to be aware of?" No catch, but Oracle isn't giving up, stating that it's taking its case to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. If successful, the appeal could put the two firms back in Alsup's courtroom, perhaps asking for somewhere between the previously proposed $32.3 million and today's sum total of zilch. We'll let you know when the drama comes around again.

Google to pay $0 in damages to Oracle, wait for appeal originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Jun 2012 22:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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