A patent that was an existential threat to podcasting was affirmed as invalid by a court in a case brought by the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Key claims of the patent had already been invalidated by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and the EFF’s case was brought to hasten the appeals process. The group announced this week that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled unanimously to uphold that decision. The patent holder—Personal Audio—can still appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. This case hasn’t received a ton of headlines, but whether or not they know it, the millions of people who enjoy podcasts should rejoice.
patent
Apple Paid Nokia $2B to Settle Patent Dispute
The recent settlement in Apple and Nokia’s patent licensing fight cost the iPhone maker US$2 billion.
Apple Hit with Patent Lawsuit Over Apple TV 'What did he say' Feature
Apple TV’s “What did he say” feature just earned Apple a new patent infringement lawsuit. CustomPlay filed the suit claiming Apple copied the feature, but isn’t paying licensing fees.
Apple Ordered to Pay $506M in University of Wisconsin-Madison Patent Infringement Case
Apple has been ordered to pay the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, or WARF, US$506 million for infringing on one of the organization’s patents with the iPhone’s A-series processor design.
Intel: Qualcomm's iPhone Ban Request is a Ploy to Capture the Entire Mobile Modem Chip Market
Intel submitted a filing with the U.S. International Trade Commission saying Qualcomm’s request to ban iPhone imports is bad for the smartphone market, and goes on to say it’s just a ploy to drive competing mobile device chip makers out of the market.
Apple Gets Another Ally in its Qualcomm Patent Royalty Fight
The Computer & Communications Industry Association—which includes companies such as Google, Microsoft, and Facebook—has thrown in with Apple in mobile device patent royalty fight with Qualcomm.
Apple Patent Details Controlling Your Smart Home from a Single Device
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office published a new Apple patent application on Thursday describing a system for controlling your smart home from a single device that can learn new functions. The patent sounds a lot like an iPhone with HomeKit, which is no coincidence at all.
Smartphone Manufactures Team Up with Apple in Qualcomm Royalties Fight
Apple’s iPhone manufacturing partners are suing Qualcomm for overcharging patent licensing fees, and Apple is footing the bill.
Imagination Technologies Attacks Apple's GPU Plans in Latest Earnings Report
The company claims that after using its graphics technologies for so many years, there’s no way that Apple could create its own GPUs without infringing on Imagination’s patents.
Apple and Nokia Reach Agreement in Patent Licensing Dispute
Apple and Nokia settled their patent licensing dispute on Monday and are besties again.
RSA Sues Apple Claiming Apple Pay Patent Infringement
RSA filed a lawsuit against Apple and Visa over the weekend claiming the iPhone maker’s Apple Pay feature infringes on patents it owns. The company says it holds 13 patents covering Apple Pay technology, and hasn’t been able to get Apple or Visa to pay for licensing.
The Day the Music Died, Hello Alexa Calling - TMO Daily Observations 2017-05-15
The internet is up in arms over the news that MP3 patent licensing has come to an end. Dave Hamilton and Jeff Butts join Jeff Gamet to explain why that’s not the end of the work, or even something to worry about. They also explain why people may be overreacting to the ability to use Alexa Calling to contact anyone who enables the service.
MP3 Wasn't Killed, it was Set Free
MP3 is dead and our music libraries are about to stop working! Or, at least that’s what the internet will have you believe since the Fraunhofer Institute announced it isn’t licensing its MP3 patents any more. Here’s the deal: MP3 isn’t dead, all your songs will still play, and you can keep buying MP3 tracks from music services.
Imagination Technologies Triggers Dispute Resolution Over Apple GPU Designs
It looks like Imagination Technologies and Apple haven’t found a way to kiss and make up because now they’ve entered into a formal dispute process. Imagination said on Thursday it started the process because it hasn’t been able to reach an agreement with Apple over licensing its tech for iPhone GPUs.
Will Apple Compete with Alexa and the Qualcomm Royalty Battle - TMO Daily Observations 2017-04-28
Will Apple release an Alexa-like device as a Siri-powered hub? Bryan Chaffin and John Martellaro join Dave Hamilton to discuss how wrong the latter two are. They also chew over Apple’s escalating royalty battle with Qualcomm.
Apple Wireless Charging and Mixing Hollywood into Apple Music - TMO Daily Observations 2017-04-27
Apple has a new patent application dealing with wireless charging, and Jeff Butts and Bryan Chaffin join guest-host Dave Hamilton to discuss what that might mean. They also talk about Apple executive Jimmy Iovine’s efforts to bring Hollywood into Apple Music.
Apple Settles Unwired Planet's Patent Infringement Case Hours Before Trial
Unwired Planet’s patent infringement lawsuit against Apple is finally over because the two companies reached an undisclosed settlement just a day before they were scheduled to go to trial. The agreement most likely includes Apple writing a big check, and the patent holding company agreeing to leave the iPhone and Mac maker alone.
Blackberry Scores $814M Win for Qualcomm Overcharging Patent Royalties
Qualcomm has agreed to pay Blackberry US$814.9 million for overcharging patent royalties. Blackberry entered into arbitration with Qualcomm over claims it was being forced to pay too much to use the company’s patent protected technologies in its smartphones, which sounds exactly like Apple’s current lawsuit against Qualcomm.
Appellate Court Rules Smartflash Patents Invalid, Saving Apple $533 Million
Apple won a significant victory in court this week in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. That court ruled three patents owned by Smartflash LLC were invalid, according to Reuters, a ruling that saves Apple US$532.9 million by negating a damage award.
Ebook Sales Take a Hit, Apple Watch Battery Band Patent - TMO Daily Observations 2017-02-02
Ebook sales are down, tablet and ebook reader sales are down, and there may be a correlation. Bryan Chaffin and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to look at the state of ebook sales, plus they weigh in on an Apple patent for an Apple Watch battery wristband.
Sorry, Apple Didn't Patent a Vape Pen
We have the iPhone, the iPad, and the iPod, and based on a recently published patent, some are saying the iVape is coming next. Apple’s patent describes something that sounds a lot like the vaping pens you use when you’re sitting on the couch getting baked while watching Scooby-Doo, except that using this design would probably kill you.
Apple's Unused Patent Lawsuit, Twitter Features We Want - TMO Daily Observations 2016-12-30
Apple has a patent for blocking iPhone features while driving, but isn’t using it. Dave Hamilton and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet look at how that landed Apple in a lawsuit related to a tragic car wreck, plus they share their most wanted Twitter feature.
Supreme Court Throws Out Apple's $400M Win in Samsung Patent Fight
Samsung’s legal persistence is paying off because the United States Supreme Court unanimously ruled on Tuesday the electronics maker doesn’t have to pay Apple US$400 million for infringing on iPhone-related patents. More specifically, the court ruled Samsung owes Apple damages based on infringing components instead of the entire device.
Supreme Court Wrestles with Apple, Samsung Patent Arguments
The U.S. Supreme Court heard testimony on from Apple, Samsung, and the Department of Justice on Tuesday on how damages should be calculated in design-related patent infringement cases. The hearing is the latest round in the mobile device patent infringement fight the two companies started in 2011, and underscores how confusing it can be to set damages values.