A patent infringement fight against Apple over Coverflow technology that started in 2008 has finally come to an end with a US$25 million settlement. Apple agreed to pay the sum to Network-1 Technologies, far less than the $625 million originally awarded.
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TMO Daily Observations 2016-06-29: Apple's Camera Blocking Patent, iPhone Design Lawsuit
Apple patented a way to block our smartphone cameras from recording. Kelly Guimont and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to share their thoughts on the patent and its potential for abuse. They also look at a lawsuit alleging Apple stole the idea for the iPhone.
Apple Patent Blocks Smartphone Recording, and it's Creepy
Musicians and other live performers could have a new way to stop attendees from using their smartphones to record video, photos, and audio at events thanks to a new patent from Apple. The iPhone and iPad maker was awarded a patent this week for a system that remotely disables recording with infrared signals. The system could be used in other ways, too, like blocking recording in secure facilities, or by governments to prevent free speech.
Uniloc Hits Apple's Messages with Patent Lawsuit
Uniloc says Apple's iMessage technology infringes on its patents The lawsuit claimed patents 7,535,890, 8,995,433, 8,724,622 and 8,243,723 cover the voice recording and transmission feature in Messages, and that Apple isn't licensing the technology. Uniloc is asking the court for the usual unspecified damages, legal expense reimbursement, and other relief. If you aren't familiar with…
Immersion Sues Apple, AT&T Over Haptic Feedback Patents
Apple hit with patent infringement lawsuit over haptic feedback features Immersion named the Apple iPhone 6, Apple iPhone 6 Plus, Apple iPhone 6s, Apple iPhone 6s Plus, Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport, and Apple Watch Edition in its lawsuit. The company named U.S. patents 8,619,051 “Haptic Feedback System with Stored Effects,” 8,773,356 “Method and Apparatus…
VoIP-Pal Hits Apple, AT&T, Verizon with $7B Patent Lawsuit
VoIP-Pal sues Apple over iMessage, WiFi calling patent infringement According to VoIP-Pal's filing the system Apple uses to determine whether conversations in the Messages app should use iMessage or standard SMS, and the system for deciding when to use WiFi calling are covered by patents it owns. The company said Apple, AT&T, and Verizon all…
USPTO Hands Podcasters a Win, Invalidates Personal Audio's Patent
USPTO throws a wrench in Personal Audio's paten lawsuit scheme The Electronic Frontier Foundation helped spearhead the effort to invalidate the patent. EFF Staff Attorney Daniel Nazer commented, “We're glad the Patent Office recognized what we all knew: 'podcasting' had been around for many years and this company does not own it.” Personal Audio found…
Comarco Hits Apple with Patent Lawsuit over iPhone Chargers
Apple ht with patent infringement lawsuit over Lightning connector tech Comarco's 8,492,933 patent, titled Power Supply Equipment for Providing a Data Signal, Identification Information and Power to an Electronic Device, describes a system where device chargers include a cable with a smart tip that can communicate with the device its charging, much like Apple's Lightning…
Rockstar Patent Sale Indicates Further De-escalation of Mobile Patent War
Rockstar was formed by its member companies to purchase a trove of more than 6,000 patents from bankrupt Nortel in 2011. At the time, it was seen as a major play against Google's Android, though Google was actually invited to be part of Rockstar. As it is, however, Rockstar and Google were competing bidders, though…
Google Agrees to Settlement in Rockstar Patent Infringement Fight
Google agrees to settlement in Rockstar patent infringement case Rockstar Consortium is a patent holding group backed by Apple, Microsoft, BlackBerry, Sony and Ericsson. The group purchased Nortel's patent portfolio, and then filed an infringement lawsuit against Google over claims the search technology it uses in Android OS is covered by the patents it holds.…
Bose Sues Apple Acquisition Beats for Patent Infringement
Bose wants an injunction prohibiting import of the infringing devices, financial compensation for past infringement. The Verge reported that the suit also seeks a complete accounting of, “all infringing sales and other infringing acts by Beats.” The patents in question involve noise cancelling properties in Beats Studio and Beats Studio Wireless headphones. Bose claimed in…
Traveling Steve Jobs Patent Exhibit Moves to Denver
The traveling Steve Jobs patent exhibit makes its way to Denver, Colorado The exhibit was created by the National Inventors Hall of Fame and Museum, and is on loan from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. It includes massive iPhone-shaped panels depicting 300 patents attributed to Mr. Jobs before his death. The opening of the…
Judge Denies Rockstar Consortium's Bid to Move Google Patent Fight to Troll Town
Rockstar misses out on moving Google patent counter case to Eastern Texas The patent holding company filed its infringement suit in U.S. District Court in Eastern Texas, and Google countered by filing a patent invalidation suit in California. Rockstar Consortium then petitioned the court to move Google's suit to Texas, but District Court Judge Claudia…
WSJ Interviews iPhone Engineer Just Before Another Samsung Patent Trial
Mr. Christie started at Apple in 1996 to work on the Newton, so he has a long relationship with Apple's touch screens. He was invited to work on a secret project in late 2004, resulting in two meetings a month (in a room with extremely limited access) with Steve Jobs to show progress and get…
SimpleAir Wins $85M in Google Android Patent Infringement Case
SimpleAir scores patent infringement win against Google's Android OS The patent that earned Google a bill for $85 million in damages, 7,035,914, covers the delivery and processing of notifications and other content. The money was awarded as part of a damages trial following a jury trial that ended in January. Google argued it shouldn't have…
ZiiLabs Hits Apple, Samsung with Graphics Chip Patent Lawsuit
ZiiLabs says Apple and Samsung are infringing on its patents ZiiLabs listed ten of the 100 graphics, processor and 3D-related patents it owns in the lawsuit, according to Patently Apple. The lawsuit states, in part, Samsung has directly infringed and continues to directly infringe one or more of the claims of the '637 Patent by…
Android Creator Andy Rubin on Apple's Witness List in Samsung Patent Fight
Apple calling Android creator Andy Rubin to testify in patent infringement trial with Samsung Mr. Rubin left Apple in 1992 for the Apple spin-off company General Magic which just so happened to be a mobile device development company. That never panned out for Apple, so in 1995 he started working for WebTV, and then Microsoft…
Phil Schiller to Testify in Second Apple, Samsung Patent Trial
Samsung to call Apple VP Phil Schiller to testify at new patent trial Samsung said in a witness list filing on Thursday, Mr. Schiller will be called to testify regarding design, development, promotion, marketing, advertising, consumer demand for, and sales of the iPhone, iPad, iPod, and other Apple products, including the features accused of infringing…
US House Passes Patent Anti-Troll Bill that Probably won't Help
House bill addresses patent problems, but falls short The term “patent troll” refers to a company that collects patents to use as its primary source of income instead of using them in its own product designs. These holding companies collect patent portfolios, and then use the threat of litigation to pressure companies into paying licensing…
Judge Blocks Apple from Intervening in Lodsys Patent Licensing Attacks
iPhone and iPad app developers were dealt a serious blow recently when a Federal Court Judge ruled that Apple can't intervene on their behalf in in the ongoing patent licensing case patent holding company Lodsys is bringing against them. The patent holder claims app developers must pay licensing fees for in-app purchases even though Apple…
Apple Click Wheel Patent Infringement Costs Apple $3.3 Million in Japan
A Japanese court has ruled that the Click Wheel in Apple's iPod Classic infringes on a patent owned by Norihiko Saito and has ordered the company to pay Y330 million (about US$3,334,650) in damages. Mr. Saito filed his lawsuit against Apple in 2007 and was originally asking for Y10 billion (about $101,050,000) in damages –…
Boston University Hits Apple with Patent Infringement Lawsuit
Apple is facing another patent infringement lawsuit, although this time it's from Boston University instead of a company. The University is alleging that the iPhone 5, iPad, and MacBook Air use a semiconductor it received a patent for in 1997, and is asking for a ban on selling some Apple products as well as a…
Samsung EU Patent Abuse Settlement Talks Highlight Role of SEPs
South Korean electronics giant Samsung is in talks with European Union regulators to settle patent abuse charges. The EU charged that Samsung violated EU antitrust rules when it tried to win injunctions against Apple using standards-essential patents. The European Commission launched its complaint against Samsung in December of 2012. Unnamed sources told Reuters that Samsung…
USPTO Reverses Course, Confirms Apple's 'Overscroll Bounce' Patent
The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) reversed a “final” ruling from April that invalidated key claims in Apple's “overscroll bounce” patent. The USPTO informed Apple that it would be issuing a reexamination certificate for the patent that confirms four key claims, including claim 19 that a jury found Samsung infringed in 2012. In April,…