DoJ ramping up antitrust probe of $4.5B Nortel patent purchase by Apple, others

DoJ ramping up antitrust probe of $4.5B Nortel patent purchase by Apple, others | NmUrRhmn.COM:

However, The Wall Street Journal reports that the Justice Department is deepening its probe of the deal, with particular interest to whether the purchasers could use the patents to “unfairly hobble” devices running Google’s Android mobile OS. The search giant placed the initial bid in the auction, but was unable to outbid its competitors once Apple teamed up with the other companies.

According to the report, the DoJ can still “impose conditions” on the companies even though the deal has already been completed. Earlier this year, the federal agency put pressure on a deal that would have seen Microsoft, Apple and Oracle purchase patents from Novell, instead forcing Microsoft to license the patents.

Google acquires 1,030 patents from IBM to play defense

Google acquires 1,030 patents from IBM to play defense:

As patent lawsuits become ever more frequent, companies are building up their portfolios in an effect to protect themselves from litigation. Google is no stranger to this practice, as it confirmed on Friday it had purchased 1,030 patents from IBM. Terms of the deal were not disclosed...

Technologies included in the patents cover chip fabrication and design, computer architecture designs, relational databases, business processes, and object oriented programming, according to SEO By The Sea, which first reported of the sale Thursday.

Germany's Federal Court of Justice clears up rules on software patents - The H Open Source: News and Features

Germany's Federal Court of Justice clears up rules on software patents - The H Open Source: News and Features:

In a case concerning industrial property claims for web page display, Germany's Federal Court of Justice has handed down a ruling, in which it moves closer to the controversial line taken by the European Patent Office. The EPO sets the bar low for computer programs and online methods in determining whether they provide 'further technical effect' for patent eligibility.

U.S. court will not reconsider Rambus rulings | Reuters

U.S. court will not reconsider Rambus rulings | Reuters:

A U.S. appeals court will not reconsider rulings that chip designer Rambus Inc was wrong to shred hundreds of boxes of documents relevant in two patent infringement lawsuits, according to court records.

Could The Supreme Court Invalidate Software Patents?

Could The Supreme Court Invalidate Software Patents? | Techdirt:

Some folks claimed in response that Lee was advocating 'judicial activism,' and Scalia's hands were tied by the law itself. However, as Lee correctly retorts, the law does not explicitly say software patents are okay. In fact, the Supreme Court has ruled against such patents in the past. It's just that those rulings were a long time ago, and the lower courts (mainly CAFC) have chipped away at that over the past couple decades. Lee points out that in 1972, when the Supreme Court first rejected software patents in Gottschalk v. Benson, it invited Congress to change patent law if Congress intended for software to be patentable. Congress did nothing.

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.

Microsoft’s Windows Phone revenue: $613 million, at the very most | The Microsoft Blog - seattlepi.com

Microsoft’s Windows Phone revenue: $613 million, at the very most | The Microsoft Blog - seattlepi.com:

Buried deep within Microsoft’s annual report Thursday to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is this little gem: In the company’s 2011 fiscal year, revenue for the Xbox 360 platform was $8.103 billion.

That’s not what’s noteworthy. What’s noteworthy is if you subtract that number from overall revenue to the Entertainment and Devices Division – $8.716 billion – you get a rough figure for Windows Phone 7 and Windows Mobile.

That number – which also includes revenue from Zune, Mediaroom, Surface and hardware – was a mere $613 million last year.

Apple, Google and Microsoft revalue smartphone DNA | Reuters

Apple, Google and Microsoft revalue smartphone DNA | Reuters:

A battle royale has recalibrated the market for smartphone DNA. With Apple, Google and Microsoft duking it out for control of the mobile market, each needs or desires more and better patents for supremacy. Without them, their devices are vulnerable to shakedowns for royalties or, worse, demands to stop using the innovations. This has sparked a mad dash to acquire such portfolios -- for use as both a saber and a shield.

Dell, Ferrero, Lucasfilm, EBay, UMG: Intellectual Property

Dell, Ferrero, Lucasfilm, EBay, UMG: Intellectual Property:

Dell Inc., the world's second- largest personal-computer maker, and two suppliers were told to pay $5.4 million to closely held Convolve Inc. after a jury found they infringed a patent related to hard-disk drives.

The federal jury in Marshall, Texas, late yesterday said Dell should pay $1.5 million, Western Digital Corp. $2.5 million and Hitachi Ltd. $1.4 million, according to the verdict sheet posted on the court's website.

Google Emails Come Back to Bite in Java Patent Case Over Android - Application Development - News & Reviews - eWeek.com

Google Emails Come Back to Bite in Java Patent Case Over Android - Application Development - News & Reviews - eWeek.com:

Several potentially damaging emails could make things rough for Google if the patent infringement lawsuit Oracle has brought against Google is tried, particularly in front of a jury.

Google may face an uphill battle defending itself in a jury trial against Oracle if some potentially damaging emails are introduced at trial.

Google’s defense in its patent infringement battle with Oracle is that the search giant did not infringe—and in particular, did not willfully infringe—Oracle’s Java patents. However, new documents that have been made public from early hearings in the case suggest that Google may have pushed on with a Java strategy despite not having secured a license to use the technology in building Android.

Android Leaves Apple iOS In The Dust

Android Leaves Apple iOS In The Dust:

Google Android is now well ahead of Apple's iOS for iPhone in the race for market share in mobile operating systems, new data released Thursday showed.

Android's total U.S. share for June came in at 39%, compared to 28% for Apple, according to data compiled by market watcher Nielsen. RIM's BlackBerry OS was in third place with 20% of the market. Meanwhile, Microsoft's fledgling Windows Phone 7 operating system, along with the remnants of the Windows Mobile OS, picked up 9% of the total market.

Android's gains appeared mostly to come at the expense of RIM. Android's share was up 8.3%, compared to April, while RIM's share fell 13%. iOS's share was up 7.6% over the same period.

Alibaba OS-powered handset launching this month | The Digital Home - CNET News

Alibaba OS-powered handset launching this month | The Digital Home - CNET News:

Another mobile operating system will be launching in China this month.

Dubbed Aliyun OS, the operating system has been developed by Alibaba division AliCloud. According to the company, the mobile operating system will launch in the Chinese market on the K-Touch Cloud-Smart Phone W700 by the end of this month. Hangzhou, China-based Alibaba did not say exactly when the device will launch or how much it will cost.

S3 Patents that Apple Violated Were Ruled Unpatentable | Analysis | The Mac Observer

S3 Patents that Apple Violated Were Ruled Unpatentable | Analysis | The Mac Observer:

In a rather interesting turn of events, the two patents owned by S3 that the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) were being violated by Apple’s Mac OS X operating system have been ruled to be unpatentable due to prior art by the U.S. Patent & Trade Mark Office (USPTO). The curious thing about the ruling, however, is that it came the same day as the ITC ruling, five days before HTC bought S3 in order to use that ITC ruling against Apple...

According to Mr. Macari’s analysis, there isn’t anything that necessarily binds the ITC to pay attention to USPTO reviews, but it’s common for it to do so. The other two S3 patents were still being reviewed, however, and it’s a complete coincidence that the USPTO’s review findings were issued on the same day that AL Gildea issued his own ruling.

All this happened on July 1st — the ITC found that Apple was infringing on the S3 patents (it was July 26th when the ITC revealed some details of the ruling, including that it was Apple’s Mac OS X that infringed, clearing iOS in the process) and the USPTO ruled those same patents as unpatentable.

Spotify Sued for Patent Infringement

Spotify Sued for Patent Infringement:

A few weeks after finally entering the U.S. market — and reportedly amassing 70,000 paid users — music subscription service Spotify is being sued for patent infringement by wireless multimedia platform creator, PacketVideo.

According to TechDirt, the patent in question is for a “Device for the distribution of music information in digital form.” The patent was filed in the ’90s, and was purchased by PacketVideo a few years ago. Now, the company is claiming that Spotify is infringing on the patent, causing “irreparable harm and damage” to its business, according to the suit.

HTC Willing To Talk It Out With Apple Over Mobile Patents | mocoNews

After a bruising round at the International Trade Commission that saw two of HTC’s products declared in violation of Apple patents, it seems HTC has decided that it wants to talk things out, according to comments made by its chief financial officer and reported by Bloomberg. The company’s stock price has suffered in the wake of that decision as well as following HTC’s decision to buy S3 Graphics—a company that has scored patent wins against Apple—for $300 million, and it rose following word that talks were on the table.

There’s no sign that Apple is actually willing to talk (in trademark fashion, an Apple representative didn’t respond to Bloomberg’s inquiries), but very rarely do technology patent cases actually come down to an injunction prohibiting the sale of the losing products that is threatened at every turn. They’re almost always settled with money, be it lump sums, ongoing royalty payments, or both. Apple recently settled its patent dispute with Nokia by agreeing to ongoing royalty payments.

Last week (and then some) in patent news

App developers withdraw from US as patent fears reach 'tipping point'
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology...raw-us-patents
July 15, 2011

Patents Are Very Valuable, Tech Giants Discover: Nathan Myhrvold
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-0...-myhrvold.html
July 18, 2011

Apple deals massive patent blow to HTC, Android in serious trouble
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/hardware/a...-trouble/13714
July 16, 2011

Can HTC Get A Second Bite At The Apple While Creating American Jobs?
http://gametimeip.com/2011/07/16/can...american-jobs/
July 16, 2011

These tables show HOW Android infringes Apple's two HTC-beater patents
http://fosspatents.blogspot.com/2011...infringes.html
July 16, 2011

HTC's Apple Patent Loss: Why Android Fans Shouldn't Worry
http://www.pcworld.com/article/23591...dnt_worry.html
July 18, 2011

AAPL Standout Gainer In Lousy Market; HTC Patent Win Helps
http://blogs.barrons.com/techtraderd...ogle_news_blog
July 18, 2011

Patent battles flare in mobile world
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/artic...sp?aid=2939045
July 19, 2011

Google's Schmidt vows to defend HTC
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-200...to-defend-htc/
July 19, 2011

Google DestROID in Patent Battle
http://www.portfolio.com/companies-e...le-for-android
July 19, 2011

Mobile Computing Patent Wars Could Cost Google $2 Billion Annually
http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article29363.html
July 19, 2011

Antitrust Concerns Over the $4.5B Apple-Microsoft-RIM Patent Purchase
July 19, 2011

Canada Won't Review $4.5B Sale of Nortel Patents
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=14109628
July 19, 2011

Apple paid $2.6bn of $4.5bn Nortel patent grab
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/07...n_nortel_deal/
July 21, 2011

Patent holder InterDigital exploring possible sale
http://mobilebusinessbriefing.com/ar...-possible-sale
July 20, 2011

After Nortel Loss, Google Looks To InterDigital To Strengthen Patent Portfolio
http://www.washingtonpost.com/busine...BSI_story.html
July 21, 2011

Apple, Google Are Said to Be Among Companies Sizing Up InterDigital Offers
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-0...gital-bid.html
July 20, 2011

Apple-HTC, Kodak, Borders, Oracle: Intellectual Property
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-0...-property.html
July 21, 2011

Google may settle in Android lawsuit with Oracle
http://venturebeat.com/2011/07/21/go...droid-lawsuit/
July 21, 2011

Apple Has Lost Its Way in HTC/Google Patent Lawsuit
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-e..._b_903986.html
July 20, 2011

Apple’s Patent Claws Are Out (Again)
http://www.wallstreetdaily.com/2011/...apple-patents/
July 21, 2011

Android Lawsuits: Google Finds Its Voice
http://www.informationweek.com/blog/...-cio/231002381
July 22, 2011

Oracle to question Larry Page in Google patent lawsuit
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp...89e670aab3a.41
July 23, 2011

Netbook maker Acer accuses Apple of starting 'patent war'
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles...atent_war.html
July 22, 2011


WARNING: DO NOT FEED THE TROLLS OR THEY'LL MULTIPLY (Lodsys, IV, Kotool)

RIM Signs On With Intellectual Ventures For Its Patent Portfolio
http://www.articleonepartners.com/pa...nt-News/page14
May 30, 2011

Intellectual Ventures Strikes Patent-Licensing Deal With Micron
http://www.articleonepartners.com/pa...nt-News/page14
May 31, 2011

Apple Steps into Lodsys Litigation (highly recommended)
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2011/0...sys-litigation
June 10, 2011

Lodsys goes for Google developers
June 28, 2011

Google Goes Missing In Lodsys Litigation
http://www.informationweek.com/news/...ogle/231001011
July 5, 2011

Software Patents are Becoming a Tax on Innovation
http://blogs.forbes.com/martinzwilli...on-innovation/
July 6, 2011

Lodsys won't back down, moves to wage patent war in Texas
http://newsandinsight.thomsonreuters...AINS+%27ANV%27
July 6, 2011

Lodsys extends legal offensive against Apple iOS developers
http://www.v3.co.uk/v3-uk/news/20842...ios-developers
July 6, 2011

How “Patent Trolling” Taxes Innovation
http://www.articleonepartners.com/pa...nt-News/page14
July 11, 2011

New Intellectual Ventures Suit Seeks Payment From Chipmakers
http://paidcontent.org/article/419-n...om-chipmakers/
July 12, 2011

Lodsys now going after apps with More Apps buttons
http://www.tuaw.com/2011/07/13/lodsy...-apps-buttons/ d
July 13, 2011

Lodsys decides links to purchase other apps are close enough to their patents to sue over
http://www.geek.com/articles/mobile/...over-20110713/
July 13, 2011

OMG! Cross promotion in "More Games" violates Lodsys' patent too!
http://forums.toucharcade.com/showthread.php?t=100387

Patent Trolls Drive App Developers from U.S. Market
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2011/0...ers-u-s-market
July 19, 2011

Lodsys sues Rovio over Angry Birds for iPhone and Android
http://fosspatents.blogspot.com/2011...birds-for.html
July 22, 2011

Patent Troll Lodsys Intent on Waking Sleeping Giant of Industry Heavyweights
http://toucharcade.com/2011/07/22/pa...-heavyweights/
July 22, 2011

When Patents Attack (highly recommended)
http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2011/...patents-attack
July 22, 2011

Software patents come home to roost
http://www.firstpost.com/business/so...ost-46839.html
July 23, 2011

Who Does Patent-Trading Firm Intellectual Ventures Work For, Anyway?
http://www.businessinsider.com/intel...#ixzz1T84IdPWN
July 24, 2011

Kootol targets Microsoft, Apple, others over patent
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-20...s-over-patent/
July 15, 2011

Patent troll or paper tiger (Kootol)
http://www.i-programmer.info/news/83...er-tiger-.html
July 18, 2011e

Software Patent Trolls In India
http://cjnewsind.blogspot.com/2011/0...-in-india.html
July 23, 2011


More Mobile

Microsoft Paying Alcatel $75 Million Would Be Fair, Witness Says
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-0...ness-says.html
July 19, 2011

Acacia Subsidiary Acquires Smartphone Patents
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/aca...k=MW_news_stmp
July 20, 2011

ParkerVision Sues Qualcomm For Patent Infringement - Quick Facts
http://www.rttnews.com/Content/Quick...d=1669944&SM=1
July 20, 2011

Nokia Posts Loss but Pulls in IP Royalties
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...829935156.html
July 21, 2011

Icahn Prods Motorola to Explore Patent Sale
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...googlenews_wsj
July 22, 2011

MMI: Street Debates Reality Of Icahn’s Agitation
http://blogs.barrons.com/techtraderd...atent-musings/
July 21, 2011

More Apple

Apple, Groupon Are Said to Settle Their Patent Suits With Walker Digital
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-0...r-digital.html
July 22, 2011

Patent suit takes aim at Apple over iPhone, iPad 3G data transfer
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles..._transfer.html
July 13, 2011

Patents Hint of iOS 5 Voice Input Support
http://www.pcworld.com/article/23582...t_support.html
July 16, 2011

Apple’s Patent-palooza, Rumor-palooza & Godspeed
http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/artic...ooza_godspeed/
July 15, 2011

Trade judge rules for Apple in patent case
http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-va...in-patent-case
July 18, 2011

Kodak did not infringe on Apple patents, says ITC
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...76H1SQ20110718
July 18, 2011

Key Events in Patent Disputes Between Kodak, Apple
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=14107951
July 19, 2011

Apple loses US ITC patent case against Kodak
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/...c-patent-kodak
July 19, 2011

Kodak Explores Options for Imaging Patent Portfolio
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-0...portfolio.html
July 20, 2011

Apple playlist patent suit winner hits replay for repay
http://news.cnet.com/8301-27076_3-20...#ixzz1T7yWHkLf
July 20, 2011

Will cloud be the next patent battlefield?
http://www.itworld.com/cloud-computi...nt-battlefield
July 19, 2011

Patent: iPhones could get offline app purchasing power
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-31747_7...#ixzz1T81HOiCR
July 21, 2011

Future iPad? Apple Files Multi-Layer, 3D Display Patent
http://www.conceivablytech.com/8529/...display-patent
July 21, 2011

Samsung
Samsung seeks US import ban on Osram
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp...6338bac556.5f1
July 16, 2011

Samsung sues Osram as LED patent row escalates
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14181324
July 18, 2011

Anynod’s Smart Cover Clone Pulled From Samsung Stores
http://techcrunch.com/2011/07/19/any...amsung-stores/
July 19, 2011

Samsung Shallow Depth of Field Camera Patent Can Give 3D a Boost
http://www.gottabemobile.com/2011/07...ve-3d-a-boost/
July 20, 2011

US Patents Awarded

U.S. Patents Awarded to Inventors in North Carolina
http://m2m.tmcnet.com/news/2011/07/16/5640586.htm
July 16, 2011

U.S. Patents Awarded to Inventors in New York
http://m2m.tmcnet.com/news/2011/07/17/5641191.htm
July 17, 2011

U.S. Patents Awarded to Inventors in California
http://www.mspnews.com/news/2011/07/21/5653446.htm
July 21, 2011

Other

WORLDCOMP'11 - The 2011 World Congress in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, and Applied Computing (thanks Harvetta)
http://www.world-academy-of-science.org/worldcomp11/ws

Logitech Sued Over Harmony Remotes, Logitech Revue
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2388641,00.asp
July 18, 2011

Microsoft Sued For Alleged Kinect Patent Violation
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/3..._Violation.php
July 22, 2011

Vivisimo Receives U.S. Patent for Clustering System and Method
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-relea...125805088.html
July 19, 2011

SecuGen Corporation Files Lawsuit Against Suprema for Patent Infringement
http://send2pressnewswire.com/2011/0...056_045801.php
July 18, 2011

Contact Chip Banking Cards Violate SmartMetric, Inc. Issued Patent According to Latest Ruling in the SmartMetric Patent Infringement Case Brought Against Visa, MasterCard and American Express
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/con...k=MW_news_stmp
July 20, 2011

Vibram sues to protect FiveFingers shoe patent
http://www.boston.com/Boston/busines...mDK/index.html
July 18, 2011

New York Times Asks Court to Rule Information Access Patent Not Infringed
July 18, 2011
http://www.articleonepartners.com/pa...ent-News/page8

Patent Lawsuit From RPost Could Spell Trouble For Adobe /*EchoSign
http://techcrunch.com/2011/07/19/pat...dobe-echosign/
July 19, 2011

Immunomedics Awarded Additional Patent for PEGylation Method
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/imm...k=MW_news_stmp
July 19, 2011

BioTime (AMEX:BTX) 2nd issuance of US Glycosan Hydrogel Patent
http://www.proactiveinvestors.com/co...tent-0410.html
July 19, 2011

Avila is Granted its First U.S. Patent Covering a Class of Targeted Covalent Drugs
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/avi...k=MW_news_stmp
July 20, 2011

PositiveID Corporation Awarded Key Patent for Sample Prep of DNA and RNA
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/pos...k=MW_news_stmp
July 20, 2011

Lilly stock rises after drugmaker reports higher sales
http://www.ibj.com/lilly-stock-rises.../article/28421
July 21, 2011

Panel Session on Recent Supreme Court Patent Decisions
http://www.patentdocs.org/2011/07/do...decisions.html
July 19, 2011

Some news from the wide, wide world outside the United States…

http://www.articleonepartners.com/pa...-News/page9#85

Ahuja's World Patent news
http://www.wptn.com/wptn/showtopicwi...aspx?topicid=1

Sernova to be Granted Australian Patent
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/ser...k=MW_news_stmp
July 16, 2011

Novartis Is Expected to Outpace Peers
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...719705244.html
July 18, 2011

EPO and SPTO sign agreement on IP activities in Latin America
http://www.epo.org/news-issues/news/2011/20110713.html
July 13, 2011

A true partnership for stronger Intellectual Property protection in China
http://www.epo.org/news-issues/news/2011/20110719.html
July 19, 2011

Patent IP will pass from Aptimize to Riverbed
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/...ze-to-riverbed
July 21, 2011