apple v. samsung

Apple licensed its designs to Microsoft, but barred 'cloning'

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Apple's patent licensing chief said here today that an earlier cross-licensing deal allowed Microsoft access to a host of its design and feature patents, but prohibited the copying of Apple's own products.

Apple patent licensing director Boris Teksler made the disclosure during testimony in the company's trial against Samsung, which could wrap up as soon as next week. It's not clear how long the cross-licensing deal he mentioned has been in place, or how long it will last.

"All these patents are in Apple's unique user experience, and not ones … Read more

How Apple tallied its $2.5 billion against Samsung

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- $2.5 billion is a lot of money, and it's the low end of what Apple says Samsung should pay for selling products that look and feel like the iPhone and iPad.

But just how did Apple reach that tally?

To explain, Apple today called on Terry Musika, a certified public accountant who has been involved with more than 200 intellectual property cases, including this one between the two tech giants.

In short, it's complicated.

"The calculation had to be done on a phone by phone, tablet by tablet basis," Musika said. &… Read more

Samsung in Apple patent talks: Rock vs. hard place

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Whether or not you agree that Samsung copied the look and feel of Apple's products, it's now clear that Apple put the company in a difficult position when it first accused Samsung of copying.

In testimony here today, Boris Teksler, Apple's director of patent licensing and strategy, noted that while Apple initially approached the company to accuse it of copying its products and infringing on a multitude of its patents, Apple would not outright license any of those main patents to another company.

"We were clear we weren't offering a license … Read more

Key Samsung designer barred from testifying in Apple case

Samsung Electronics won't be able to use the testimony of one of its key designers in its case against Apple, according to a court document filed and signed by Federal Judge Lucy Koh yesterday.

Hyong Shin Park, who was the lead designer for Samsung's F700 phone, will be barred from testifying, as the court sided with Apple's request to keep her from the courtroom.

Park has said that Samsung's phones were inspired by a "bowl of water" and not the iPhone. Apple argued that her project, the F700, isn't in the list of … Read more

Frustrated judge orders Apple, Samsung counsel to meet today

The federal judge presiding over the Apple-Samsung patent infringement trial has apparently grown weary of the quibbling attorneys in the case and has ordered them to meet in person today to hammer out joint jury instructions.

"The Court is disappointed by the parties' respective reports regarding their meet and confer efforts on final jury instructions," U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh said in her order today, according to the Foss Patents blog. "Lead trial counsel shall meet and confer in person today and file joint and disputed final jury instructions by Monday, August 13, 2012 at 8 … Read more

Apple hammers 'copycat' theme with more internal docs

Note: This story was originally published at 11:52 a.m. PT. It was republished at 8:17 p.m. PT with embedded documents, which were released in the evening.

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Additional internal Samsung documents suggesting that the company looked to Apple for examples of how to enhance the features of its mobile devices were made public today.

During the testimony of Ravin Balakrishnan, a professor in the department of computer science at the University of Toronto, Apple brought out two of Samsung's internal usability studies -- one for a smartphone (see the first embedded document … Read more

2010 Apple license offer to Samsung: $30 per smartphone, $40 per tablet

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Few patent-licensing companies would ever publicly reveal royalty agreements they make with others. Add Apple to the mix and you can see how that statement might be even truer.

Even so, tonight Apple entered into evidence in its trial with Samsung a document showing that it offered the South Korean company a licensing deal on some of its key technologies. Specifically, Apple offered to license the portfolio of patents if Samsung would pay $30 per smartphone and $40 per tablet.

To sweeten the deal, Apple offered a 20 percent discount if Samsung would cross-license some of … Read more

Here's Apple's original 'copying' presentation to Samsung

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- As part of its spat with Samsung, Apple has entered into evidence the original slide deck it says it brought to top Samsung executives to say Samsung was ripping off its products.

The 67-page presentation -- embedded in full below -- was presented on August 4, 2010, according to Boris Teksler, Apple's director of patent licensing and strategy. Teksler took to the stand in court today to explain the beginnings of strife between the two companies, though he said he himself was not at the meeting.

Two months after the presentation was shown, Apple came … Read more

Apple exec: We told Samsung it was a copycat in 2010

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- We know where the fight between Apple and Samsung is right now, but how did it really begin? Apple laid out at least part of that story in court here today.

On the stand was Boris Teksler, Apple's director of patent licensing and strategy, who went over slides brought to a private meeting with Samsung on August 4, 2010, a few months after the release of the first iPad.

"Steve Jobs and Tim Cook called Samsung executives to meet with them," Teksler recalled.

The presentation, entitled "Samsung copying iPhone," detailed various … Read more