itc

Huawei 'puzzled' at InterDigital patent complaint

Huawei Technologies said today it is "a little bit puzzled" by allegations that it was illegally using InterDigital's wireless patents.

Huawei was in the middle of what it thought were "good faith negotiations" with InterDigital when the claims were made, said William Plummer, vice president of external affairs for the Chinese company.

InterDigital, which develops and holds patents on a lot of valuable wireless technology, said yesterday that it filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission and a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Delaware, alleging that Huawei, along with … Read more

InterDigital goes after Nokia, Huawei, and ZTE

InterDigital is taking aim at Nokia, Huawei, and ZTE, claiming the companies are illegally using its 3G wireless technology.

The developer of wireless technologies said today that it has filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission, seeking a ban on the importation of 3G phones, USB laptop sticks, mobile hot spots, tablets, and other wireless components from the three companies. The company separately filed a lawsuit with the U.S. District Court in Delaware.

The complaint is just the latest in a myriad of legal entanglements between technology companies, including scuffles between Apple and HTC and Samsung Electronics, … Read more

Google's Schmidt vows to defend HTC

Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt says his company will support key Android partner HTC in its patent fight with Apple.

Schmidt, speaking at a Google mobile conference in Tokyo today, expressed confidence that HTC will ultimately prevail over Apple, ZDNet Asia reports.

"We have seen an explosion of Android devices entering the market and, because of our successes, competitors are responding with lawsuits as they cannot respond through innovations," he said. "I'm not too worried about this."

When asked about potentially providing financial support should HTC lose, Schmidt said: "We will make sure they … Read more

HTC's fate up in the air

HTC faces an uncertain future.

The Taiwanese company, which makes a number of very popular smartphones including several Android OS models, is feeling the impact of an administrative law judge's initial ruling for the U.S. International Trade Commission last week, which found HTC in violation of two of Apple's patents. HTC's stock in retreated more than 4 percent on the Taiwan Stock Exchange to its lowest level in six months, Bloomberg reported today.

While an administrative law judge's initial decision doesn't represent a death blow, it doesn't bode well for the final decision. … Read more

ITC says HTC violating two of Apple's patents

Apple scored a legal victory today when the U.S. International Trade Commission made an initial ruling that HTC had violated two of its patents.

The ITC administrative law judge's initial determination was that HTC infringed on two of the 10 patents Apple had filed a complaint over in March 2010, according to an HTC statement. The ITC still needs to make a final ruling on the complaint. A loss carries the threat that HTC's products would be banned from coming into the U.S., and Apple only needs to get a favorable decision on one of the … Read more

Apple fires second legal salvo at HTC

Apple is doubling down on its legal assault against HTC.

Citing the U.S. International Trade Commission Web site, the Foss Patents blog reported today that Apple has filed a second complaint against HTC. Targeted in the complaint are more than a dozen Android smartphones and its Flyer tablet.

According to Foss, Apple is claiming that five patents are being illegally used, including one used for scrolling operations, another for programmable tactile touch-screen displays, and one for a double-sided touch-sensitive panel, all of which are used in another complaint against Samsung.

The other relates to the ability to scroll, zoom, and rotate content on a screen, while the last references "portable computers."

Apple wasn't immediately available to comment on the complaint.

HTC expressed its disappointment with the further legal entanglement.

HTC is dismayed that Apple has resorted to competition in the courts rather than the market place," said Grace Lei, general counsel for the company. "HTC continues to vehemently deny all of Apple's past and present claims against it and will continue to protect and defend its own intellectual property as it has already done this year."

HTC has had success with its early embrace of the Android mobile operating system and was the first company that Apple targeted legally in regard to Android. When Apple filed its first complaint and a parallel lawsuit in March, Apple alleged that HTC was illegally using 20 patents related to the iPhone. … Read more

Apple files ITC suit vs. Samsung: Can this marriage be saved?

Apple launched its latest lawsuit against Samsung with an International Trade Commission complaint filed yesterday that seeks an injunction to prevent the Korean giant's key Android smartphones and tablets from being imported into the U.S.

Bloomberg first reported the Apple ITC suit today and Florian Mueller is handicapping those patents in question. Apple has five technical patents and two design patents aimed at Samsung's Android army. In many respects, Apple's move with the ITC isn't surprising. Samsung also has an ITC lawsuit against Apple. Meanwhile, the two parties are duking it out in courtrooms around the world.

As noted before, the strangest thread through these Apple-Samsung duels is that the two parties are key partners. Apple procures memory, screens and components from Samsung. Samsung competes with Apple, which also happens to be the Korean company's largest customer.

The ITC lawsuit reads like the other Apple complaints against Samsung. The gist:

•Apple created categories. •Samsung copied the hardware and designs. •Samsung is trying to poach sales by being a copycat.

This paragraph in the ITC suit sums up Apple's take:

"Many of Apple's innovations have become so popular and so recognized that they have become virtually synonymous with Apple's products and the Apple brand. Indeed, an Apple product can be readily identified, for example, by the way it operates and interfaces with its users...

As a result, Apple's innovations and products have been the subject of widespread imitation by Apple's competitors. Others have attempted to capitalize on Apple's success by copying its innovative technology, distinctive user interface and overall product design."

Apple then goes on to name Samsung as one of Apple's "principal infringers."

Note that Apple's lawsuits revolve around the user experience. What if Android improves to the point where the user experience is seamless? Can Apple sue over that?

Clearly, Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 closes a lot of the hardware gaps with Apple. The difference is that Android is improving, but not quite seamlessly. Apple's aim is to head Samsung off at the pass.

Let's assume that Apple and Samsung settle differences somehow. Apple's relationship with Samsung the supplier and the competition is hard if not impossible to rectify. Money may save the Apple-Samsung marriage, but the odds aren't looking good.

This story was originally was published on ZDNet's Between the Lines. … Read more

ITC ruling mixed in S3 Graphics v. Apple

An administrative law judge for the U.S. International Trade Commission today determined (PDF) that Apple is infringing on two patents owned by S3 Graphics, while not infringing on two others.

Today's decision is initial, with a final decision from a six-member commission set to be delivered in November.

"S3 Graphics is pleased to win this portion of the ITC investigation," S3 Graphics CEO Dr. Ken Weng said in a statement.

An Apple representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

S3 Graphics, a Fremont, Calif.-based graphic chipmaker, filed its complaint against Apple in … Read more

ITC extends Kodak case against Apple, RIM again

The International Trade Commission has once again extended its target date for making a decision on Eastman Kodak's complaint against Apple and Research In Motion, which claims the companies are infringing on a patent it owns.

In a notice about the investigation (PDF), the ITC said that it's determined to "affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand in part the final initial termination" from its administrative law judge (ALJ). It also said it's found no violation of a provision of the Tariff Act of 1930 regarding unfair competition. However, based on changes made to … Read more