Google makes bold bid for Motorola Mobility | Reuters

Google Inc's biggest deal ever, acquiring Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc for $12.5 billion, is an attempt to buy insurance against increasingly aggressive legal attacks from rivals such as Apple Inc.

The acquisition of one of the mobile telecommunications industry's most storied names is Google co-founder Larry Page's boldest move since taking over as CEO in April, launching the Internet giant into a lower-margin manufacturing business and pitting it against many of the 38 other handset companies that now use its Android software.

Motorola Inc was split this year into two: Motorola Mobility, which got the faster-growing cellphone and TV set-top box businesses; and Motorola Solutions, which sells gear like walkie-talkies to corporate and government clients.

#Sony, #LG Electronics settle bitter patent dispute | Reuters

LG Electronics and Sony said on Thursday that they have resolved patent disputes between the two firms spanning smartphones, TVs and Blu-ray technology, with LG adding that they have signed a cross-licensing deal.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/11/us-sony-lg-idUSTRE77A0AF20110811

Verizon loses ActiveVideo patent suit, owes $115M — Online Video News

Verizon loses ActiveVideo patent suit, owes $115M — Online Video News:

Video-on-demand technology startup ActiveVideo was awarded $115 million by a jury in a patent infringement against Verizon on Tuesday. The decision comes a little more than a year after ActiveVideo took the telco to court over patents related to interactive TV and video-on-demand applications.

The patent infringement lawsuit was originally filed in May 2010 and involved four ActiveVideo patents:

• U.S. Patent No. 6,034,678, titled Cable Television System With Remote Interactive Processor
• U.S. Patent No. 5,550,578, titled Interactive And Conventional Television Information System
• U.S. Patent No. 6,100,883, titled Home Interface Controller for Providing Interactive Cable Television
• U.S. Patent No. 6,205,582, titled Interactive Cable Television System with Frame Server

Rovi sues Hulu over program guide patents | Reuters

Rovi sues Hulu over program guide patents | Reuters:

It’s been a bad week for Hulu. Just a few days after Fox announced it will put up a pay wall around what used to be free broadcast content on the streaming site, Hulu is now being hit by a patent infringement suit from interactive programing guide vendor Rovi.

The lawsuit, which was filed in U.S. District Court in the District of Delaware Thursday, revolves around three patents related to online TV program guides and search products: US Patent #6,396,546, US Patent #7,103,906 and US Patent #7,769,775. The suit seeks unspecified damages (and attorney fees!) for the alleged infringement.