Lawsuit

Samsung removes standard-essential patents from upcoming Apple trial

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 9, 2014

Apple and Samsung will duke it out in the courtroom over technology patents later this month. As the second California trial looms (it begins March 31), the two technology giants have filed a stipulation with the United States District Court of California which narrows the second case, patent blogger Florian Müeller reported on his blog, FOSS Patents.

Under the stipulation, Samsung withdrew its asserted claims based on three standard-essential patents while Apple dropped all of its counterclaims relating to these patents...

Belgian judge threatened to block Apple websites over EU warranty shenanigans

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2018

For quite some time now, Apple has been at odds with EU watchdogs who've been complaining a lot about the iPhone maker's unacceptable stance and practices when it comes to educating EU buyers on their consumer rights.

At the heart of the issue: Apple's unwillingness to explain to its users in an unambiguous manner that EU consumer laws entitle them to at least two years of coverage on consumer electronics.

As Apple's standard warranty provides twelve months of coverage, the company was caught cunningly beating around the bush by attempting to upsell buyers to its pricey AppleCare+ extended protection plan, which it introduced last September in the United Kingdom, Italy, France and elsewhere in Europe.

Apple was even fined over this in Italy and now comes word that a Belgium judge has contemplated blocking access to all Apple websites in the country because the company has continued to mislead consumers about warranty protections available for products purchased from its brick-and-mortar and online stores...

German court dismisses $2 billion patent troll suit against Apple

Cody Lee ∙ February 28, 2014

Earlier this month it was reported that Apple was getting sued for over $2 billion by known patent troll IPCom. The german company alleged that the iPad-maker violated one of its patents pertaining to priority access to channels for emergency responder.

But it doesn't look like the suit will ever make it to trial. FOSS Patents is reporting that in a string of rulings handed down by the Mannheim Regional Court in Germany today, two of IPCom's suits against Apple and one against HTC have been dismissed...

Apple files for appeal in e-book antitrust case

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

Apple filed the necessary papers yesterday afternoon to appeal the the 'guilty' verdict from its e-book antitrust case last summer. The company told a federal appeals court in New York that the decision was a "radical departure" from modern antitrust law.

For those that missed it, U.S. District Court Judge Denise Cote found Apple guilty of colluding with major book publishers to manipulate the prices of e-books. As a result, the iPad-maker faces 100s of millions of dollars and fines and other repercussions...

Apple taking China’s patent office and Zhizhen Network Technology to court over Siri

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

According to a report by China's state-run Xinhua News Agency, Apple is suing both the country's State Intellectual Property Office and Shanghai-based Zhizhen Network Technology. The main point of contention: patent rights to Siri.

Now, eagled-eyed readers may remember that Zhizhen back in July of 2012 actually filed a case first against Apple as it felt Siri had infringed upon its patent for an instant messaging chat bot system called Xiaoi Bot.

Apple asked China's State Intellectual Property Office, which is in charge of patent rights protection in China, to invalidate Zhizhen's patent, but the request was declined. In turn, Apple is now suing both the patent office and Zhizhen...

Apple may call Android creator Andy Rubin to testify in Samsung case

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 18, 2014

Andy Rubin is one of the original creators of Android and Apple may summon him to testify in a new trial set for late-March as part of the ongoing Apple v. Samsung legal battle. According to a report by TUAW, a witness list Apple filed with the court last week has revealed the iPhone maker is considering calling Rubin to testify on the potentially sensitive topics of the development of infringing Android features. He may also be asked to comment on "Google documents relating to such development"...

Samsung and Apple bosses fail to resolve patent disputes in mediation talks

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 14, 2014

We told you in January that Samsung and Apple CEOs were scheduled to meet for a new round of peace talks ahead of a trial next month. According to multiple reports today, the meeting between Apple CEO Tim Cook and Samsung mobile chief and co-CEO JK Shin indeed took place last week, but failed to yield tangible settlement opportunities.

As a result of the failed talks, the two frenemies are definitely going to slug it out in the courtroom all over again in a second California trial scheduled to kick off on March 31, 2014. Grab your popcorn...

Apple’s marketing head honcho Phil Schiller to appear on the witness stand again

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 13, 2014

Phil Schiller, Apple's Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, will take the witness stand again in the second Apple v. Samsung trial due in March, a pair of court filings PCMag spotted on Thursday have revealed.

Furthermore, Apple's former iOS boss Scott Forstall seems to be on Apple's and Samsung's lists for possible live testimony! Forstall hasn't spoken publicly since he got pushed out of the company on October 29, 2012 over the Apple Maps debacle...

Apple top target for patent trolls, sued 92 times in 3 years

Cody Lee ∙ Updated February 6, 2016

Apple has taken much criticism over the years for its patent litigation efforts, for going after Samsung, Motorola and other companies for violating its intellectual property. But what many don't know is that the iPad-maker defends itself against just as many lawsuits.

In fact, according to some recently filed FTC documents, Apple has been litigated against by PAEs (or Patent Assertion Entity, commonly known as a patent troll) 92 times during the past 3 years. And that's just the number of cases that actually made it to a courtroom...

DoJ reprimands Samsung over leveraging standards-essential patents for import ban

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 10, 2014

The Galaxy maker Samsung has been reprimanded by the United States Department of Justice (DoJ) over its improper use of standards-essential patents in litigation. As Samsung leveraged standards-essential patents to seek an import ban against older Apple products into the United States, DoJ has decided to scold but not fine Samsung as a message of sorts to other companies that asserting these patents to hamper competition isn't acceptable. The full reveal is after the break...

German patent troll hits Apple with $2+ billion claim over standards-essential patent

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated December 24, 2017

Apple and its billions are definitely the favorite target of patent trolls around the world and this newest case just exemplifies the fact. IPCom GmbH, a German patent holding firm, is suing Apple for patent infringement and is seeking north of $2 billion in damages over the use of a standards-essential wireless patent pertaining to an emergency service standard.

The use of the emergency service standard is required by law in many countries around the world! A trial in this case is scheduled for Tuesday, February 11, before Germany's Mannheim Regional Court...

University of Wisconsin takes Apple to court over A7’s performance-enhancing tricks

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 3, 2014

The University of Wisconsin via its patent-licensing arm, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, has filed a lawsuit against Apple alleging the company's in-house designed A7 chip infringes the foundation's patent designed to improve "the efficiency and performance of contemporary computer processors" by introducing a new process for allowing quicker execution of processor instructions.

It's been reported Monday that Apple's 64-bit A7 chip, which acts as the primary engine driving the iPhone 5s, the iPad Air and the iPad mini with Retina display, apparently uses this technology without permission...