Hasta La Gadget!

As we reported on March 22, a judge with the U.S. International Trade Commission took Microsoft‘s side in a legal battle that has been going on since 2010, saying the company did not infringe on Motorola Mobility patents. While Microsoft was pleased with the ruling, Google obviously was less enthusiastic, and said it would have the finding reviewed by the Commission. As of today, things have once again been found in Microsoft’s favor.

Following the ruling on March 22, a final initial determination was made on April 23, both of these concerning the last remaining patent of what was several when the legal battle was initiated by Motorola before Google acquired it. Four patents that were part of the spat were dropped, those concerning video patents and the last remaining one concerning the wireless technology used by the Xbox for communication with controllers and other devices.

Originally, a Commission judge had ruled in Google’s favor, having pegged Microsoft for infringement of four of those five original patents. As with the other rulings, that went to review, where it was overturned, and later became moot as most of the patents were dropped, two because they’re about to expire and weren’t worth battling over, and two following a settlement with the FTC.

As we reported, Google sought to have the finding reviewed, but the US International Trade Commission wasn’t game with that plan, and has instead filed an official notice that it will not review the final initial determination from the previous months, instead upholding the finding by the initial judge back in March, and subsequently in April. As such, Google is out of legal maneuvers in this battle, and because this is the last patent remaining in the spat, the investigation has reached its close with Microsoft as the victor.

Said the statement filed earlier today by the US ITC: “Having examined the record of this investigation, including the ALJ’s final ID and RID, the petitions for review, and the responses thereto, the Commission has determined not to review the RID … The investigation is terminated.” Such a ruling comes mere days after Microsoft unveiled the Xbox One.

SOURCE: US International Trade Commission

Microsoft doesn’t infringe on Motorola patent, says Commission is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Kim Dotcom, the Internet maverick behind the now-defunct Megaupload, went on to replace his government-squashed file hosting website with the newly launched service Mega. All of this followed the police raid on his home in 2012, prompting a legal battle and eventual lawsuit against New Zealand’s Government Communications Security Bureau, also known as GCSB, for illegal spying. Now he has taken to Twitter, claiming that many big-name companies, including Google, Twitter, and Facebook , have infringed on his two-step verification patent, and in return he is asking for help funding his legal defense.

The issue concerns many companies’ use of two-step verification, something Dotcom alleges he created and holds the patent for, which was filed in 1997. He goes on to link to his patent, which details the kind of two-step verification process mostly any Internet user will be familiar with. The information comes from Dotcom himself, who said in one tweet: “Twitter introduces Two-Step-Authentication. Using my invention. But they won’t even verify my Twitter account?!”

This tweet was followed by another two tweets that hour, the next saying that Google, Twitter, Citibank, Facebook, and more all utilize two-step verification that infringes on his patent. The following tweet then offers the “big reveal,” saying that in excess of 1 billion two-step authentications take place online every week.

All was silent for an hour, then another tweet popped up, this one stating that Dotcom has been aware of the mass violations of his patent but “never sued them” due to a belief in the mutual sharing of ideas and knowledge that better society in some way. He then insinuates that a lawsuit against one – or all – companies could take place, however, over “what the U.S. did to me,” regarding the legal turmoil resulting from the Megaupload debacle.

This is rounded out by a tweet telling Facebook, Google, and Twitter that they can continue to use his patent for free. He implores them to help fund his legal defense, saying they “are all in the same DMCA boat.” He goes on to explain that his defense case is looking to have a price tag of at least $50 million, linking to a whitepaper on the matter. At the end of it all came a tweet asking if anyone wants to buy a world-wide license to use his patent.

SOURCE: The Verge

Kim Dotcom claims companies infringe on his patent, asks them to fund his defense is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The patent wars have grown long and tiresome for many, but Twitter’s among the first to take meaningful action to stop them with its Innovator’s Patent Agreement. Today, the company launched version 1.0 of the IPA and is using it for the first time. Patent number 8,448,084, which claims a method for refreshing a scrollable list of content (aka pull-to-refresh) is the first to get the IPA treatment, which means that Twitter has pledged to use this patent for defensive purposes only.

What’s that mean? Well, under this version of the IPA, Twitter can assert claims against anyone who has filed, threatened or participated in a patent infringement suit against Twitter or any of its users, affiliates, customers, suppliers or distributors. It can also assert the patent to “deter a patent litigation threat” against Twitter and its peoples. If you’re thinking that such a broad definition of “defensive purposes” means Twitter can pretty much use its IPA’d patents how it chooses, you’re pretty much right. Still, we applaud Twitter’s effort to pre-empt future patent litigation, but we’ll have to wait and see if it accomplishes its goal of having companies spending their money on innovation instead of litigation.

Filed under: Software

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Source: Official Twitter blog

It’s well established that Apple and Samsung have been in a legal cat fight for a while now, and while things seemed to have settled down for a bit, both companies are at it again. Apple and Samsung will be going to court next year in the spring for what will be the second patent trial between the two companies, and the Cupertino-based company is looking to add the new Galaxy S 4 to the mix.

As a part of Apple’s statement recently filed with the US District Court in California, the company said that the Galaxy S 4 “is an infringing device and accordingly intends to move for leave to add the Galaxy S4 as an infringing product.” The Galaxy S 4 now joins a list of 22 Samsung products that Apple believes are infringing on their patents.

Both sides have over 20 products from each company that they claim infringe on each other’s patents. Samsung has included almost all of Apple’s iOS devices, while Apple has focused on Samsung’s Galaxy S lineup, as well as the Note series of phablet-style smartphones.

Judge Lucy Koh will oversee the upcoming patent trial, as she was the judge during the first patent trial that saw Apple win with a whopping $1.05 billion award. However, that was since cut down by $450 million. However, while it seemed Apple was fine with that for the most part, the company claimed the re-calculation is off by $85 million, and thus, another court case will begin in November to re-calculate the damages.

If you’re slightly confused by all that’s going on between the two companies, you’re most likely not alone. Apple and Samsung have been going at it for a couple years now, and both companies are starting to slowly end their partnerships in the industry. For instance, it’s been rumored for quite some time that Apple is completely dropping Samsung from its manufacturing partners, which would cut ties between the two companies. Of course, Apple wants to develop their own chips anyway, but the separation is probably for the best at this point.

VIA: Phone Arena

SOURCE: US District Court Filing

Apple to add Samsung Galaxy S 4 to upcoming patent trial is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Apple has filed a couple of patents with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office related to the new battery designs it is working on. The designs aren’t exactly conventional, Apple’s patents describe “Curved battery cells for portable electronic devices” and “non-rectangular batteries for portable electronic devices.” These patents detail the various methods which can be used to design curved batteries that can be fit in to devices which have non-rectangular or curved designs.

The complex methods for developing such batteries that Apple lists in these patents aim to reduce wastage of internal stage. The idea is to fit such batteries in a device housing so tightly that there’s almost no space that being wasted. This advancement in battery manufacturing opens up a new door for the device manufacturing team. If Apple decides that batteries for future products will be made through these methods, we might see iOS devices tout major design changes while being very slim. Do keep in mind that companies like Apple patent dozens of technologies each year and it doesn’t necessarily mean that these technologies or techniques will ever see the light of day. Both patent filings can be read in detail here, and here.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Apple Begins Countdown To 50 Billion App Downloads, Apple Releases iOS 6.1.4 Firmware For iPhone 5,