A South Korean court has ruled that Apple and Samsung both infringed each other’s patents on mobile devices.
via BBC News – Apple and Samsung get South Korea bans.
Can’t we all just get along?
Category Archives: IP
Google’s Motorola Files New Patent Case Against Apple
The complaint at the U.S. International Trade Commission claims infringement of seven Motorola Mobility patents on features including location reminders, e-mail notification and phone/video players, Motorola Mobility said yesterday. The case seeks a ban on U.S. imports of devices including the iPhone, iPad and Mac computers. Apple’s products are made in Asia.
via Google’s Motorola Files New Patent Case Against Apple – Bloomberg.
Verdict Overturned in Favor of Research In Motion in Mformation Patent Case
After considering motions presented by both parties, as well as the jury verdict (which was announced by RIM on July 14, 2012), the Judge determined that RIM had not infringed on Mformation’s patent. In granting RIM’s motion, the Judge also vacated the $147.2 million jury award, which means that RIM is not required to make any payment to Mformation. Mformation has the right to appeal the Judge’s ruling; however if Mformation successfully appeals the ruling, the jury verdict would not be reinstated and instead a new trial would occur.
via Verdict Overturned in Favor of Research In Motion in Mformation Patent Case – MarketWatch.
Open-source movements butt heads over logo
The gear logo is backed by the Open Source Hardware Association (OSHWA), which was formally established earlier this year to promote hardware innovation and unite the fragmented community of hackers and do-it-yourselfers. The gear mark is now being increasingly used on boards and circuits to indicate that the hardware is open-source and designs can be openly shared and modified.
via Open-source movements butt heads over logo.
OSI has now informed OSHWA, which is acting on behalf of the open-source hardware community, that the logo infringes on its trademark.
Apple patent filing looks a lot like Microsoft Surface
A patent application submitted by Apple last year — and made public just this morning — describes a flexible, magnetically attached cover for a tablet device. It’s similar to Apple’s existing smart cover for the iPad, except that this cover can also function as an input and display device. And one of the concepts described by Apple in the patent filing is an idea for using the cover as a keyboard.
The end result looks very similar to the signature feature of Microsoft’s Surface tablet computer.
via Apple patent filing looks a lot like Microsoft Surface – GeekWire.
EMG Technology Sues Google for Infringing Its Mobile Device Patent
Elliot A. Gottfurcht, Managing Member and lead inventor of EMG’s patent portfolio, explains, “Google’s Chrome Mobile Browser directly infringes the ‘196 patent by displaying mobile webpages on smart phones and tablets using EMG’s patented simplified navigation system, which permits users to navigate a touch screen with unique inputs and to manipulate the screen for zooming and scrolling. Mobile devices, such as smart phones and tablets, made by Motorola (which is owned by Google) and Samsung, use Google’s Chrome Mobile Browser to navigate mobile web sites using EMG’s patented simplified navigation system.”
via EMG Technology Sues Google for Infringing Its Mobile Device Patent – MarketWatch.
Chinese Company Sues Apple Over Siri Patents
According to a report in China Daily, the Shanghai-based company, Shanghai Zhizhen Network Technology, is suing Apple and asserting the company infringes on a voice technology patent owned by Zhizhen. The company sent Apple a legal notice in May but Apple’s lawyers did not respond, according to the report.
How Steve Jobs Fooled the Leader of the Free World and His Opponents
In 2001 Creative met with Jobs to discuss a user interface for a new MP3 player Apple was releasing. They showed him what they had, Steve said, “no thanks”, and proceeded to use it anyway. Creative sued and got $100mil over it. So much for the revolutionary iPod.
via The World Warrior.
Like every company that Apple steals from (or the majority of them, since Creative is the only exception), no legal action was taken. However, after doing some more research it seems as if LG opted not to file a lawsuit because they could (and did) technically fire back by using similar Apple hardware designs – meaning if they were to sue LG for looking too much like an iPhone, LG could throw them under the bus for working too much like a Prada.
Cyberlocker Offered To Help Prosecute Users To Settle $34.8m Copyright Suit
A cyberlocker being sued for $34.8 million by an adult studio agreed in principle to a remarkable set of demands to settle a copyright infringement lawsuit. TorrentFreak has learned that file-hosting service Oron said it would turn over the IP addresses, banking details and email addresses of users alleged to have infringed copyright. The troubled cyberlocker then offered to assist plaintiff Liberty Media in civil prosecutions against its own customers.
via Cyberlocker Offered To Help Prosecute Users To Settle $34.8m Copyright Suit | TorrentFreak.
RIAA to CNET: Follow Google, nix video-to-MP3 conversions
The Recording Industry Association of America wants to put an end to software and services that enable people to rip songs from music videos.
Two days after YouTube-MP3.org, a site that converts songs from music videos into MP3 files, was blocked from accessing YouTube, the RIAA has asked CNET to remove software from Download.com that performs a similar function. CNET, which is owned by CBS, is the publisher of this news site.
via RIAA to CNET: Follow Google, nix video-to-MP3 conversions | Internet & Media – CNET News.
I do not advise downloading and installing anything from download.com. FOSS should be vetted by a reputable organization like sourceforge. That said, this kind of tactic will start to get very interesting. Ripping songs from youtube is just an algorithm.