patent

ITC to investigate VirnetX patent complaint against Apple

The U.S. International Trade Commission announced today that its members have voted to begin an investigation on behalf of security software company VirnetX into whether Apple infringes on its intellectual property with its mobile phones, tablets, and computers.

The company filed the complaint against Apple last month, saying the iPhone, iPad, and Mac maker was infringing on its patent that covers a secure connection between two computers over a network. VirnetX aims to halt the importation of Apple products into the U.S., though the two companies are likely to reach a settlement or licensing deal instead.

As the … Read more

Signposts on Apple's road to map app mishap

While it initially appeared that Apple was caught off guard by the furor over how bad its in-house map application is, the company apparently had plenty of warning.

Developers have been complaining about Apple's Maps since shortly after they were given the first pre-release version in early June, CNET has learned. They say they filed bug requests, sent e-mails to specific Apple employees, and vented on message boards only other developers and Apple could see.

Threads on Apple's developer forums described some of the problems that appeared well ahead of the final version of the software, and they … Read more

Microsoft looks to roll Google into German patent suit

Microsoft plans to expand an infringement case against Motorola Mobility to none other than Google, the smartphone maker's parent company.

Speaking yesterday in the Munich I Regional Court, Microsoft's lead counsel, Tilman Mueller-Stoy, told the court that the software giant will amend an earlier lawsuit against Motorola to include Google, marking the first time the two technology giants have gone after each other in a patent infringement case.

Foss Patents' Florian Mueller, who has acknowledged consulting for Microsoft, was first to report on the story.

The lawsuit in play was filed by Microsoft in April 2012 and relates … Read more

Appeals court nixes a Galaxy Nexus ban requested by Apple

Samsung got a much-needed break from the courts today, as an appellate court overturned a sales ban on its Galaxy Nexus phone.

Today's ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit found that the district court in California "abused its discretion" in imposing a preliminary injunction on Galaxy Nexus sales.

The appeals court decision means that the case will go back to the court in California to be reheard, according to Reuters.

The appeals court found several flaws in Apple's arguments for a Nexus ban.

In one example, Apple claimed that the … Read more

Patent trolling nearly doubled in five years, study finds

It's no secret patent lawsuits are on the rise, and it turns out the same can be said for the ones filed by what have affectionately been called "patent trolls."

According to a new study published today by University of California Hastings College of the Law, lawsuits filed by patent trolls -- or as they are re-categorized "patent monetizers" -- saw a dramatic increase between 2007 to 2011.

As part of a research project put on by the Government Accounting Office, the law school teamed up with legal tracking and analytics tool Lex Machina to … Read more

Tech giants to talk patent reform at the U.N.

Apple, Google, Microsoft and other tech giants are meeting in Switzerland today to discuss patent litigation reform, seeking to find ways to protect their intellectual property without hurting innovation.

The roundtable, hosted by the U.N.'s International Telecommunication Union in its Geneva headquarters, will cover topics such as "potential improvements to existing policy frameworks, entitlement to injunctive reliefs, and definitions of what constitutes a royalty base."

The group hopes to find out how standard essential patents can be enforced without hindering competition and how to make sure licenses can be offered at reasonable terms.

"We are … Read more

Lodsys claims progress in fight over in-app purchase patents

Lodsys, which is locked in patent disputes with app developers over an in-app purchase mechanism, said it has made progress in winning legal and developer favor.

The nonpracticing entity, which went after app makers on Apple's iOS, Google's Android, and other technology platforms for infringing on its patents, said in a blog post this evening that the U.S. Patent Office has confirmed the validity of one of its patent's key claims, effectively hobbling Google's effort to have the patent invalidated:

As a part of the Inter-Parties Reexamination requested by Google, the USPTO recently issued an … Read more

When Apple got serious about software patents

Apple's exploits in the world of software patents are under close scrutiny, and with good reason. Every few weeks new applications are unearthed providing possible clues to future products, or insights into what's already been released.

In recent years though, the focus has been less about products and more about how Apple can use these patents in court -- or to avoid it entirely. Case in point, just a handful of patents (seven to be precise) were enough to set the stage for a dramatic U.S. court battle between Apple and Samsung, a fight that already has is sequel lined up. … Read more

Motorola devices sparse in Germany amid patent wars

Motorola Mobility's market in Germany may be shrinking even further.

The company continues to offer few devices via its German Web site as it battles Microsoft over patent issues, according to Foss Patents' Florian Mueller. Mueller has been employed as a paid consultant by Microsoft and Oracle.

A check of Motorola's German Web pages by blog site Areamobile found only three smartphones currently up for sale -- the Razr, the Razr i, and the Gleam HD +.

A search by Mueller turned up the same results, with no other phones or tablets available online for German customers. A link … Read more