Along with sharing information with social networking services, Apple’s patent includes a system for quickly exchanging data with other people. For example, a user could share their contacts, calendars, task lists, photos and more from their iPhone to someone else’s iPhone, iPod touch and presumably an iPad.The patent also includes an automated system for exchanging…
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Wi-LAN Hits Apple, Others with Bluetooth Patent Lawsuit
According to Wi-LAN, the companies named in its suit have been infringing on patent number 5,515,369 by making and selling mobile phones and laptop computers with Bluetooth technology.Along with Apple, the suit named Acer, Atheros Communications Belkin, Broadcom Corporation, Dell, D-Link, Gateway, HP, Intel, Lenovo, LG, Marvell Semiconductor, Motorola, Personal Communications Devices, Sony, Texas Instruments, Toshiba,…
Microsoft Hit with $388M Patent Fine
Microsoft won’t, however, have to start writing out all those zeroes right away because the company plans to fight the ruling. “We are very disappointed in the jury verdict. We believe that we do not infringe, that the patent is invalid and that this award of damages is legally and factually unsupported,” the company said…
Apple, Microsoft, Google Hit with Icon Patent Suit
Apple, Microsoft and Google are all looking at more potential court time now that Cygnus Systems is suing the companies over claims that they are violating a patent it holds. The patent in question describes using icons to preview files before opening them — a feature common to many applications. The suit specifically identifies Mac…
Apple Patent App Shows 3D Desktop
A recent patent filing from Apple Inc may offer a glimpse into the company’s future plans for Mac OS X, including a three-dimensional Desktop. The revamped interface design could allow for stacked items and offer ways to essentially grab objects that are covered by other icons, and to group objects closer to you or farther…
$10M Says Apple Can Use Burst Patents
Burst originally filed a lawsuit against Apple claiming the company was infringing on its patents with technology used in the iPod, QuickTime, iTunes, and the iTunes Store. Earlier in November 14, of the 36 claims were thrown out leaving 22 claims for Burst to pursue in court sometime in 2008. Burstis legal fees in the…
Apple Hit with Predictive Text Patent Suit
Autotextis “computer-based transcription” patent describes a process where a list of words is presented based on the letters a user is typing. Mac OS X 10.4 and Safari along with IBMis Lotus Notes, Eudora 7.1 from Qualcomm, The Sony PS3, and the Nintendo Wii are listed in the case, as are devices from several other…
Hard Drive Patent Infringement Investigation Hits Five Companies
The couple claimed that several hard drive manufacturers as well as companies that use hard drives in their products are infringing on their patents covering dissipative ceramic bonding methods. The two are hoping for a permanent cease and desist order to prevent the import of the hard drive products. Should the ITC rule in favor…
Intel Sued Over Chip Patents
On Wednesday, Intel was sued by Transmeta, which said that the semiconductor giant violated ten of its processor design and power efficiency techniques patents. According to IDG News, Transmeta listed Intel’s Pentium III, Pentium 4, Pentium M, Core, and Core 2 processors as those in violation; it asked for an injunction keeping the company from…
Apple Pays Creative $100 Million to Use Patent; Creative Joins 'Made For iPod'
Apple and Creative Technology on Wednesday announced a settlement in their ongoing cross-litigation with the news that Apple will pay US$100 million for a paid-up license to use Creative’s patent for an MP3 player interface. However, Apple can recoup a portion of that money if Creative successfully licenses its patent to other companies. Creative also…
Burst.com Files Patent Infringement (Counter)Suit Against Apple
Burst.com, Inc. announced Monday that it had filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Apple Computer, saying that Apple’s iTunes Music Store, iTunes software, the iPod devices, and Apple’s QuickTime Streaming products all infringed on patents owned by Burst.com. The suit comes in response to a lawsuit filed by Apple in January of 2006 seeking to…
Apple's Patent Application for iPod Interface Denied [Update]
A patent application for the iPod’s interface was not granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), according to a report by AppleInsider. The patent was originally filed in October 2002 (and ameneded on March 25, 2004), but was denied by the USPTO because of a May 2002 patent application filed by an…
TMO Reports - Apple Sued Over JPEG Patent; Damages Possibly "Millions"
Videoconferencing company Forgent Networks, Inc. filed suit Thursday against 31 defendants, including Apple Computer, for using its JPEG digital image compression patent without paying a licensing fee. In making the announcement, a company spokesman said damages could end up being in the millions of US dollars for each company. Among the other companies being sued…
Microsoft, General Motors, Apple, & Patents
Matt Loney of ZDNet’s UK offices has penned an interesting editorial on the patent application we reported (in a scoop) last week. Mr. Loney questions whether or not Apple truly has anything original that it can properly patent, and he uses an old tit-for-tat story involving Microsoft, General Motors, and Apple to help illustrate his…
Adult Sites Fight Patent Holders: Apple & Others Could Be Next
O K, what does Apple, Microsoft, CNN, your local cable company, and Web based adult movie sites have in common? (This is not a trick question.) They all use technology to deliver digital content to you, and that is the reason why one company, Acacia Media Technologies, believes that its ship has come in. Who…
The Devil's Advocate - Apple Files For New Multiple "Persona" Patent For Use In PDAs
This is not an Apple PDA? For a company that swears it has no plans on releasing or pursuing a PDA, Apple has a funny way of showing it. And "it" looks something like this: (Click each image for a larger, more legible version.) The above device can be found in a patent application, 20030107606,…
Apple Files For New Multiple "Persona" Patent For Use In PDAs
This is not an Apple PDA? For a company that swears it has no plans on releasing or pursuing a PDA, Apple has a funny way of showing it. And "it" looks something like this: (Click each image for a larger, more legible version.) The above device can be found in a patent application, 20030107606,…
Apple Awarded Patents On Handwriting Recognition & Adaptive Throughput Optimization
T wo Apple patents issued on April 29, 2003. Apple filed for a patent application for a "Methods and apparatus for handwriting recognition" on May 23, 1996 — relatively eons ago. The abstract states: Method and apparatus for handwriting recognition system for ideographies characters and other characters based on subcharacter hidden Markov models. The ideographies…
The USPTO Issues Three New Patents To Apple
A pple was granted three new patents yesterday by the US Patent and Trademark Office. These patents were all applied between 1999 and 2001, and all are programming patents. The first was for a "System, apparatus and method for spatially sorting image data in a three-dimensional graphics pipeline." Filed: August 20, 1999 Granted: April 22,…
eBay Patent Case Develops, Business Process Disputes At Issue
News.com is reporting on a series of developments in a patent dispute between eBay and MercExchange. At issue are several patents filed by Tom Woolsten, founder of MercExchange, back in 1995 — several months before the creation of eBay. These patents describe "methods of creating and searching online marketplaces and auctions." This case, among others,…
Adobe Wins Patent Infringement Lawsuit Against Macromedia
A dobe announced today that it had won a patent infringement lawsuit against Macromedia. The company received a favorable verdict from a jury trial in which it had accused Macromedia of willfully infringing on Adobeis patents governing reconfigurable tabbed palettes. From Adobe: Adobe Systems Incorporated today announced that it has received a favorable jury verdict…
Apple Is Reportedly Interested in Purchasing Intel
Apple reportedly interested in acquiring Intel amid processor stability issues. Unconfirmed rumors suggest potential industry shake-up.
Man Who Held Apple Watch From Measuring Blood Oxygen Resigns
Masimo CEO Joe Kiani resigns amid Apple Watch dispute. Leadership change may impact ongoing legal battle over blood oxygen sensors.
Apple Watch S10 Can Detect Sleep Apnea but Not Blood Oxygen
Apple Watch Series 10 lacks blood oxygen tracking in US due to patent dispute, while global models retain the feature.