patents

The long-running patent dispute between Apple and Samsung took a surprise turn this week when a U.S. federal agency banned earlier models of the iPhone and iPad. However, an appeal court or the White House could block the ban. The order doesn't come ... from a court, but rather the United States International Trade Commission (ITC), a semi-independent federal agency with some legal powers. The ITC's job is to advise the government on trade issues. However, it does have some power to make rulings on unfair trade practices, such as alleged violations of trademarks and patents. This week, the ITC ... (view more)

Apple has announced it sold more than four million iPhone 4S handsets in the first three days after its launch. However, legal action could put a halt to sales in Japan and Australia. Apple iPhone 4s: Fastest Selling iPhone to Date According to ... reports, Apple racked up the four million sales this past Friday, Saturday and Sunday, making this the fastest-selling iPhone model. While it won't keep that pace up as the initial rush winds down, there's still a good chance it could set a world record. Guiness World of Records is monitoring sales across the next two to three months, paying particular ... (view more)

Last week the Supreme Court put an end to Microsoft's long-running attempt to avoid paying a hefty $290 million decision over its use of XML technology found in Microsoft Word, which also affects the Microsoft Office Suite. The court ruling marks ... the end of a long journey for the Redmond-based software giant, which has been trying desperately to overturn the decision since last year . (Source: reuters.com ) This decision is said to have a major impact on future cases involving similar conflicts. Microsoft Supported by Apple, Google Surprisingly, both Apple and Google supported Microsoft in ... (view more)

Microsoft has been accused of patent abuse by Barnes & Noble by allegedly preventing manufacturers from using Google's Android operating system (OS), a product which competes with the Windows Phone 7 mobile operating system. The accusation comes ... just over a month after Microsoft filed suit against Barnes & Noble company for allegedly infringing on a number of patents with its new Nook e-reader device. Microsoft Declares 5 Ways Nook Infringes on Patent Back in March, Microsoft accused Barnes ... (view more)

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen has failed in a bid to win patent damages against numerous online retailers, as well as Google and YouTube. He's been given until late December to come up with more specific claims. Allen's lawsuit named AOL, Apple, ... eBay, Facebook, Google, Netflix, Yahoo and YouTube, plus retailers Officemax, Office Depot and Staples. But a federal judge said Allen hadn't been specific enough in his filing, meaning "the court and defendants are left to guess what devices infringe on the four patents." (Source: wsj.com ) Patent Copyrights Date back to 1992 The patents belong to ... (view more)

A web server company is suing Google claiming that many of its services, including AdWords, Blogger and YouTube are all infringements of its patents. The suit by GraphOn Corporation claims all these systems copy its patented technology for "unique ... method of maintaining an automated and network-accessible database". The firm is seeking unspecified damages, plus "permanent injunctive relief" -- in other words, a court order stopping Google from using the technology. (Source: yahoo.com ) Google says it hasn't yet received official notice of the suit and therefore isn't commenting. (Source: cnet. ... (view more)

At the Stanford Summit in Palo Alto, California, IT heavyweights such as Google and Apple discussed the U.S. patent system -- and not everyone was thrilled with the its current state. Google's head of patents, Michelle Lee, described the U.S. patent ... system as being "in crisis." She explained that there are too many businesses that use patents mostly as a means of making money. These businesses, called trolls, have proven profitable for many tech companies, but the large number of patents is backing up the system. "The Patent Office is overburdened," she said. "The volume of patents going in ... (view more)

Following in the footsteps of other Linux distributors, Mandriva is publicly rejecting Microsoft's advances for a patent protection deal. In the past, Microsoft has signed agreements with Linux firms like Novell, Xandros, and Linspire. The Windows ... developer claims that open-source applications violate many of its patents. However, with these treaties, Microsoft promises (in writing) not to sue the companies for patent infringement. Wait a sec...who's Mandriva? Mandriva is an open source company associated with Linux. Its headquarters are in Paris, where it acts as a founding member of the ... (view more)

In what's being labeled by some as an attempt to deflect questions surrounding their floundering Vista reception and sales, Microsoft is threatening law suits aimed at open source distributors and users, claiming that Free Open Source Software ... (FOSS) violates 235 of their patents ... and they want royalties from it. If they get their way, free software won't be free any more. According to Microsoft , the Linux kernel violates 42 Microsoft patents, the Linux graphical user interface (GUI) violates 65 patents, the Open Office suite of programs violate 45 patents, Email programs violate 15 ... (view more)

Google made yet another addition to the expanding Google empire last week, when the company launched the beta version of Google Patent Search. The search engine allows users to search through United States patent filings in a variety of ways, ... including searches by patent number, inventor, filing date, and keyword. Patents that have been issued up to mid-2006 are included in the results. Although international patents and patents applications are not included in the search, it does allow potential inventors (or the perpetually curious) to sift through millions of U.S. patents. (Source: news. ... (view more)