Hasta La Gadget!

Samsung exec David Eun has blamed the ongoing legal battle with Apple for hindering innovation, pointing out that while the Korean firm may benefit financially from each iPhone sale, overall the consumer tech industry suffers. Speaking at the D:Dive Into Media conference this week, executive vice president Eun refused to be drawn on more specific insights around the regular court appearances legal teams from the two companies have made, but said that it represented “a loss” to innovation overall, despite Samsung’s own efforts to push its software portfolio.

“We’re doubling down on software innovation” Eun pointed out, “particularly software that will enhance our products.”  That follows a process of internal development, acquisitions, and partnerships, the EVP explained, including making investments into third-party firms courtesy of the Samsung accelerator program.

Nonetheless, Eun – positioning himself as a consumer – has apparently been disappointed by the split-focus of the key players today, though said that it was down to the lawyers to handle that patent litigation side of the business.

The Samsung exec’s comments came before Apple CEO Tim Cook took part in the Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet Conference, where while he did not name Samsung specifically, he did take obvious potshots at the South Korean company. OLED screens, for instance – which Samsung has used on all of its recent flagship Galaxy smartphones – were derided as having poor colors, while Cook also argued that Apple’s rivals, unable to compete on innovation, instead focus unnecessarily on base specifications.

Despite the snark, Cook is believed to have preferred a quieter approach to the litigation with Samsung than Steve Jobs’ “thermonuclear” war, with sources claiming that was down to his concerns around alienating a vital component supplier. Eun touched on a similar point himself, conceding that Samsung’s input into the iPhone hardware, for instance, meant that the company did benefit from Apple’s strong sales.

[via Apple Insider; via Engadget; via AllThingsD]

Samsung EVP: Apple war fallout is innovation loss despite financial win is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The multi-billion dollar legal war with Samsung would not have taken place had Apple CEO Tim Cook had his way, with reports claiming the current chief exec was against Apple founder Steve Jobs’ “thermonuclear” war with its Korean rival. Cook, who was Apple’s Chief Operating Officer until he was made CEO, was supposedly concerned about Samsung’s vital role as a parts supplier, Reuters reports, which has become critical to Apple’s operations.

According to anonymous insiders familiar with Apple and Samsung’s troubled history, Steve Jobs was quick to anger when he believed Samsung was copying iPhone and iPad strategy for its own Galaxy series. Cook’s concerns regarding parts supply stability arose then, the sources say, though it’s unclear to what extent the yet-to-be-CEO acted upon them.

Perhaps surprisingly, the attitude between the two companies – beyond the public relations rhetoric – is actually said to be reasonably calm. Legal experts with access to both firms claim “the temperature isn’t that high,” likely a side-effect of the fact that, legal battle aside, Apple and Samsung are still heavily locked into each others’ businesses.

Those businesses see Samsung – a major player in the NAND flash industry – continue to supply memory for Apple’s iPhone, iPad, and other devices, as well as manufacturing the ARM-based chips that power those devices. However, the privileged position of chip co-designer has been lost, and there has been long-standing speculation that TSMC will usurp Samsung’s role as processor manufacturer.

Cook’s public comments on legal matters have been more reserved than those of the outspoken Steve Jobs. Speaking to NBC last December, the CEO said that Apple “loves competition” as it “makes us all better,” though did reiterate that Apple “wants people to invent their own stuff.”

Apple’s Tim Cook opposed Samsung “thermonuclear” war say sources is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Late last week, Google decided to pay $82 million to French publishers that would help their websites make money off of online advertisements. However, it seems there’s a little bit of jealously going around with other European countries. The European Publishers Council isn’t too happy about the exclusivity with France, so the EPC’s director, Francisco Pinto Balsemao, is asking Google to compensate publishers in all European countries, not just France.

Balsemao claims that search engines, like Google, get over 90% of revenues from online advertising, and a lot of that comes either directly or indirectly from news or entertainment content that’s available for free. He says that “this use is carried out without the authorization from copyright holders or without any payment in return,” which basically means that Google, and other search engines, should pay up.

The EPC represents 26 of the main media outlets that are operating in Europe, so that organization definitely has a some authority when it comes to this kind of stuff, and since ad revenue is falling throughout Europe, the group is wanting search engines to pay up a chunk, since the’re believed to essentially be taking ad revenue away from these European outlets.

Advertising revenues in Portugal fell by 90 million euros in 2012, down to 526 million euros, which is the country’s lowest since 1997. Google has declined to speak about on the situation, but according to TechCrunch, a source close to Google said that the EPC’s claim that the company gets over 90% of its revenue from web advertising is untrue.

[via Reuters]

Google asked to pay all European countries for content use is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

We mentioned in December of 2012 that a Brazilian company had launched an Android-powered smart phone called the iPhone. The smartphone is from a company called Gradiente and I’m sure most people expected Apple to be getting its legal assault ready. According to one source, Apple may be too late to protect its iPhone name in Brazil.

CNET reports that an unnamed source says that the Brazilian Institute of Intellectual Property plans to award an exclusive trademark for the iPhone name to Gradiente. The company claims to have filed for the iPhone trademark years before Apple launched its market changing smartphone. Gradiente is a Brazilian company.

However, the Brazilian company didn’t offer a product using iPhone name until December after Apple’s product was well entrenched all around the world. Gradiente says that it has legal rights to use the name through 2018. Odds are the Brazilian company will give up the trademark when Apple starts throwing money its way.

Apple has offered no official comment on the trademark issues in Brazil. Apple originally acquired the iPhone name in the US from Cisco in February 2007. A Gradiente official has reportedly said that he was “open to a dialogue” for a deal similar to what Apple put together for the iPad trademark in China with Proview. That deal cost Apple $60 million.

[via CNET]

Sources claim Apple may lose iPhone trademark in Brazil is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

One of the great things about Amazon is that shoppers don’t have to pay sales tax on their items. However, the online retailer is slowly adding exceptions to various states around the US, Connecticut being the newest one added to the list. The state of 3.6 million people will begin to pay a 6.35% sales tax on Amazon starting in November. Meanwhile, however, the company is planning to build a $50 million fulfillment center that is said to create hundreds of jobs.

From the Connecticut sales tax alone, Amazon will generate about $8 million in the first year it collects it, and anywhere from $13 million to $15 million in the second year. The company will begin charging the sales tax on November 1, 2013, which is just in time for the start of the holiday shopping season when Amazon usually see its highest revenue figures.

So far, several states have are currently paying sales tax on Amazon or are set to begin charging it sometime this year, including New Jersey, Texas, and Massachusetts. The reason why Amazon and other online retailers don’t charge sales tax is because state governments cannot force a company to collect sales tax unless the business has a physical presence in the state. However, as previously mentioned, state governments are working hard to change that specific law.

As for the new facility, Amazon is planning to invest $50 million in Connecticut over the next two years to build a fulfillment center somewhere in the state. Other details are not yet known at this point, including where the plant will be located, but the company plans to create hundreds of new full-time jobs from the project. It’s not known whether or not the sales tax levy has a connection with the funds necessary to build the new facility.

[via SFGate]

Amazon prepping $50m facility in Connecticut, will start collecting 6.35% sales tax is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.