PDI:Articles

From PDI

Below are several references to patents and litigation in the news. Feel free to add additional articles (just make sure you follow the existing format, and position them chronologically with the newest on top).

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Apple Told To Pay Patent Troll OPTi $21.7 Million Silicon Alley Insider - December 4, 2009

Apple was told to pay $21.7 million in a patent case against OPTi Inc., a semiconductor vendor-turned-patent troll.

Apple sued for infringing digital camera patent with iPhone The Loop - December 4, 2009

St. Clair has filed suit against every major camera maker in the world including Fuji, Kyocera, Minolta, Nikon, Olympus and Casio. It also filed lawsuits against Samsung, Panasonic, Nokia, HP, Kodak, LG, Motorola, RIM and Palm, among many others.

Nokia sues Apple for patent infringement CNET - October 22, 2009

The largest handset maker in the world is suing the maker of one of the most popular, the iPhone, because, according to a statement released by Nokia Thursday, Apple has refused to license any of the patents in question. All iPhone models dating back to the original introduced in 2007 are infringing, according to Nokia.

Adobe, Google Sued by Textscape Over Patents PCWorld - October 2, 2009

The lawsuit specifically mentions the 'find' feature in Chrome, which allows a search of text on a Web page and indicates the location of search hits in the scrollbar. Textscape is seeking royalties.

Google Patents World's Simplest Home Page Gawker - September 2, 2009

After a five-and-a-half-year fight, Google and its attorneys have managed to convince federal bureaucrats to bestow a patent on the company's iconic home page.

Judge: Microsoft can't sell Word anymore P-I - August 11, 2009

A Texas judge ruled Tuesday that Microsoft cannot sell one of its flagship products, Word, in the United States because of patent infringement.

Apple Sued Over Touch-Screen Rights New York Times - April 8, 2009

The lawsuit alleges that Apple products — including its MacBook computer, iPhone and iPod Touch — use technology that infringes on two of Elan’s patents.

Apple patent claim threatens to block or delay W3C specification My Opera - April 7, 2009

Early last month, it became clear that Apple might be causing trouble for the W3C Widgets specification.

Microsoft, TomTom settle patent dispute CNET News - March 30, 2009

TomTom will pay Microsoft for patent protection related to mapping patents and file-management patents that Microsoft claimed were infringed by TomTom's use of the Linux kernel. Microsoft will also get access to the TomTom patents that were cited in TomTom's countersuit against Microsoft, although Microsoft won't make any payment to TomTom... TomTom will "remove from its products the functionality related to two file management systems patents" over the next two years.

Amazon's Kindle targeted by patent infringement suit Ars Technica - March 17, 2009

...Amazon's biggest legal worries may have begun in the very month that the device was first introduced. That's when a patent that anticipates most of the Kindle's major features was granted to someone else. That someone else, Discovery Communications, has now filed suit against Amazon for patent infringement.

Bose Headphone Patent Litigation Settled ecoustics.com - December 9, 2008

Bose's complaint charged that Phitek manufactured headphones for Audio-Technica and Creative Labs that infringe Bose U.S. patents protecting the active noise-reducing headphone technology found in Bose QuietComfort headphones. As part of the settlement, Phitek has agreed to make certain changes to its headphones to be clear of the Bose patents at issue.

Is RPX’s “Defensive Patent Aggregation” Simply Patent Extortion By Another Name? TechCrunch - November 24, 2008

RPX markets itself as a “defensive patent aggregator.” It buys up its own patents, or strikes licensing deals on behalf of its members, and charges companies $35,000 to $4.9 million a year for perpetual licenses to those patents.

Apple Slapped With Patent Suit Over iPhone’s Browser TechCrunch - November 24, 2008

A month after being granted U.S. patent No. 7,441,196, a company in Los Angeles called EMG Technology is suing Apple for “the way the iPhone navigates the Internet,” according to a press release.

Typhoon Touch accuses TabletKiosk, others of patent violations CNET News Blog - March 25, 2008

After suing Dell and Motion Computing for allegedly infringing on two of its patents for portable computers with touch-screen technology, Typhoon, and licensing partner and co-plaintiff Nova Mobility Systems, said Tuesday they are targeting three more potential infringers: Xplore Technologies, Electrovaya, and Sand Dune Ventures, which makes tablet PCs under the brand TabletKiosk.

“World record”: Japan grants patent after 17 days of screening TechCrunch - October 17, 2007

In fear of falling back in international competitiveness in the future, the Japan Patent Office introduced a new system to accelerate examinations of patents on a trial basis October 1 (”to become the world’s most advanced IP-based nation”).

Red Hat, Novell sued for patent infringement CNET News - October 12, 2007

Companies called IP Innovation and Technology Licensing Corporation sued Red Hat and Novell on Tuesday, claiming the top Linux sellers' software products infringe U.S. patent 5,072,412, "User interface with multiple workspaces for sharing display system objects," and two identically named patents.

Microsoft demands royalties for open source software InfoWorld - May 14, 2007

Brad Smith, Microsoft's general counsel, and Horacio Gutierrez, the company's vice president of intellectual property and licensing, said open souce software, including Linux, violates 235 Microsoft patents. And Microsoft wants distributors and users of open souce software to start paying royalties for these alleged violations.

BlackBerry maker, NTP ink $612 million settlement CNNMoney.com - March 3, 2006

BlackBerry maker Research in Motion said Friday it agreed to pay $612.5 million to patent holding company NTP to settle a long-running dispute that had threatened to shut down the popular wireless e-mail service for its 3 million users.

Apple licenses Amazon's 1-Click CNET Nets - September 18, 2006

Apple Computer has become the first company to license Amazon.com's controversial patented 1-Click technology.

Amazon Sued for Patent Infringement over Personalization InternetNews - July 18, 2003

Pinpoint Inc. reportedly sued Amazon and six other major national retailers for allegedly violating its patents on software that assists online shoppers with their purchasing decisions.

Amazon sues Barnesandnoble.com over patent CNET News - October 22, 1999

Online retail giant Amazon.com has filed suit against Barnesandnoble.com, alleging that the rival book and music e-tailer illegally copied Amazon's patented 1-Click technology.

Eolas Sues Microsoft for Infringement of Patent for Fundamental Web Browser Technology Eolas Press Release - February 2, 1999

Eolas Technologies Incorporated, an Internet technology firm based in downtown Chicago, today announced that it has filed suit here in Federal court against Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) for infringement of Eolas' patent on fundamental Web browser technology that makes "plug-ins" and "applets" possible.