Patents

Samsung wants iPhones and 3G iPads banned in the Netherlands

By Allyson Kazmucha, Friday, Sep 23, 2011 a 4:52 pm

Samsung has already sued Apple over patent infringements and now they're attempting to get a full out ban of iPhones and 3G iPads in the Netherlands. They've sued Apple on infringement of four patents and not only want a ban but a full retail recall of any device that uses 3G technology.

The patents involved are standards-essential patents. They are incorporated as internationally excepted standards and the patent holder (Samsung) is obligated to grant licenses to third parties. Florian Mueller, an active patent consultant, believes that an injunction won't happen unless Apple refuses to pay up if royalties are owed to Samsung.

Samsung waiting on iPhone 5, has finger on lawsuit launch button

By Rene Ritchie, Tuesday, Sep 20, 2011 a 8:37 am

According the Korea Times, rival smartphone maker Samsung is eagerly anticipating the Korean launch of Apple's next generation iPhone 5 handset -- so Samsung can try and sue it off the shelves.

`Just after the arrival of the iPhone 5 here, Samsung plans to take Apple to court here for its violation of Samsung’s wireless technology related patents,’’ said a senior executive from Samsung Electronics, asking not to be identified.

Google sells patents to HTC, HTC uses them to sue Apple

By Rene Ritchie, Wednesday, Sep 7, 2011 a 11:06 pm

According to Bloomberg, Google -- who previously never missed an occasion to whine about patents and patent litigation -- seems to have been quietly buying patents of its very own from Palm, Motorola, and Openwave Systems, then sold them to HTC so HTC to use them to sue Apple. Pretty slick.

Does HTC violate Apple patents because Android founder Andy Rubin was inspired by them when he worked at Apple?

By Rene Ritchie, Friday, Sep 2, 2011 a 10:34 pm

Long title, longer legal filing, but the gist is Apple seems to be claiming Android founder Andy Rubin was working for Apple and reporting to the man who filed for a patent on Apple's behalf that Apple is now suing HTC for violating in their Android phones. Even longer:

Samsung claims Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey as prior iPad art

By Rene Ritchie, Tuesday, Aug 23, 2011 a 10:26 pm

No, you didn't read the headline wrong -- Samsung is claiming their Galaxy Tab 10.1 couldn't be a copy of Apple's iPad because... it was copying the earlier movie prop from Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. Well, okay, not copying -- more like maintaining the design elements were commonplace in pop culture, especially science fiction. One of the ways to invalidate a patent is to prove prior art -- that someone had the idea before the company who was awarded the patent.

HTC ramps up the patent suits against Apple

By Rene Ritchie, Tuesday, Aug 16, 2011 a 12:41 pm

Apple sued HTC, HTC counter-sued Apple, and now HTC has sued Apple, again over 3 additional patents in both Mac, and iPhone/iPad platforms. While HTC currently pays Microsoft a reported

The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Delaware seeks to halt Apple's importation and sale of infringing products in the United States. It also seeks compensatory damages, triple damages for willful infringement and other remedies.

Google asks for re-examination of 2 Lodsys patents

By Rene Ritchie, Saturday, Aug 13, 2011 a 3:41 pm

Google has filed a request with the United States Patent on Trademark Office (USPTO), asking that 2 of the patents Lodsys is using the troll iOS and Android developers be re-examined.

“We’ve asked the US Patent Office to reexamine two Lodsys patents that we believe should never have been issued,” Google senior vice president and general counsel Kent Walker told Wired.com in a statement. “Developers play a critical part in the Android ecosystem and Google will continue to support them.”

Apple sues Motorola over XOOM Android tablet design in Europe

By Rene Ritchie, Wednesday, Aug 10, 2011 a 11:37 am

No sooner did Apple win a preliminary injunction against the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Germany (which carries over to most of the rest of the EU), then they've gone and sued Motorola over the same trade dress/design infringement grounds for the XOOM tablet. (And a local German company called JAY-tech for good measure.)

Apple still intent on intervening in Lodsys developer lawsuits

By Rene Ritchie, Tuesday, Aug 9, 2011 a 11:37 am

When patent troll Lodsys started suing App Store developers, Apple filed a motion to intervene on developers' behalf and, not surprisingly, Lodsys objected. So now Apple has doubled down, insisting on a hearing and answering all of Lodsys' objections. If the court sides with Apple, Lodsys won't be staring at independent legals teams of assorted sizes. They'll be stared down by Apple legal.

Florian Mueller of FOSS Patents breaks down Apple's 6 areas of response, which he says "tears into pieces" Lodsys' arguments. He sums up:

Patent wars merely leveling the playing field against Google Android "dumping"?

By Rene Ritchie, Thursday, Aug 4, 2011 a 6:58 pm

Paul Thurrott of Windows Super Site is never one to let a good piece of anti-Apple link bait go by, but this time he's turned his attention towards Google's Android, and how Google "dumping" it on the market for free could be a greater anticompetitive act than Microsoft or Apple patent litigation.