patent

Motorola has settled a patent-infringement lawsuit with TiVo over digital-video recording technology ahead of a patent trial scheduled to begin next week.

TiVo filed a patent-infringement claim against Motorola last October, saying that the Google-owned company's set-top boxes infringed on its patents related to DVR functionality. TiVo argued that were the court to rule in its favor, the "damages claim is likely to run into the billions of dollars."

The settlement, which was first reported by Bloomberg, was confirmed by a Motorola spokesperson, who declined to offer details of the settlement.

"We're pleased that all … Read more

Apple is eyeing yet another way to dabble in the mobile payments market.

Dubbed "Method and system for managing credits via a mobile device," the application published Thursday by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office envisions a system whereby mobile users would receive credits or coupons to be stored in their account. Acting as virtual currency, such credits could be used to help pay bills or buy items at a point of purchase.

Apple already offers a digital coupon system through its Passbook app. But the service highlighted in the patent application would take the concept a … Read more

Apple and the George Lucas-founded audio-and-visual tech firm THX are attempting to settle a patent spat between the two companies, recently filed court documents revealed.

A legal filing late Tuesday noted that the two companies were "currently attempting to resolve this matter outside of this ligitation," Bloomberg reports.

THX filed its suit against Apple in March, accusing Apple of infringing on a patent covering sound direction from small speakers. In its complaint, THX said Apple's iPhone 4, along with iPads and iMac computers, were using that technology without a license, and were causing the company "monetary … Read more

Sure, Samsung won a victory over Apple when a judge imposed a limited sales ban on older iPhones and iPads. But Apple would survive such a ban virtually unscathed, according to Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster.

Tuesday's ruling by the U.S. International Trade Commission found Apple guilty of infringing on certain Samsung cellular technology patents. Assuming the ruling stands, a ban on the infringing devices would halt sales of the AT&T models of the iPhone 4 and 3GS and the 3G versions of the first and second iPad.

A ban on most of those devices would … Read more

Several older Apple iPhone and iPad models infringe on a patent held by Samsung, a judge at the U.S. International Trade Commission said on Tuesday.

In a final ruling (PDF), the ITC said Apple infringes on a Samsung patent related to cellular technology with AT&T models of the iPhone 3GS and 4, along with 3G models of the iPad 1 and 2.

As part of the ruling, the ITC has issued a limited order to bar those devices from sale in the U.S.

The decision is final, however Apple can appeal it to the Federal Circuit, … Read more

As expected, President Obama has come out today in full force against so-called "patent trolls."

In a statement released on Tuesday by the White House, the president issued five executive actions it'll take against companies that collect patents for the sole purpose of licensing them and suing other companies that may or may not be violating them. The administration has ordered that patent owners regularly update their ownership information so they can't hide patents in other entities. It has also requested that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) enhance employee training to decrease chances … Read more

The Obama administration will reportedly announce a set of executive actions on Tuesday aimed at reining in certain patent holders amid concerns they are abusing the current system and squelching competition.

President Obama will instruct the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to initiate a rule-making process that would require patent holders to disclose the owner of a patent, senior Obama administration officials told The Wall Street Journal. He will reportedly announce five executive actions and seven proposed legislative changes, including asking Congress for legislation that would sanction litigants who file lawsuits deemed abusive by the courts.

Patent assertion entities (… Read more

The Electronic Frontier Foundation is throwing in its two cents in the ongoing legal battle between Oracle and Google over whether APIs should or shouldn't be copyrightable.

Gathering together 32 computer scientists and tech industry leaders, the Internet advocacy organization submitted an amicus brief to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on Thursday. The brief is signed by tech leaders like MS-DOS author Tim Paterson and ARPANET developer Larry Roberts.

EFF and the brief's signatories are trying to convince the court that APIs should not be copyrightable because they are critical to spurring innovation … Read more

Apple may be aiming to challenge Samsung over eye-tracking technology.,

An Apple patent application, dubbed "Electronic Devices With Gaze Detection Capabilities," was published Thursday by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The application describes a feature in which your mobile device reacts to the movement of your head or eyes.

Turn your head or eyes away from the device, and the screen dims. Look back at the device, and the screen returns to life. Looking away could also put the entire device in standby mode, meaning certain functions are powered down to preserve battery power. In yet … Read more