CopyTele, a “patent enforcement entity” based in New York, has filed a patent infringement suit against Microsoft in connection with its Skype IP calling and messaging service, now used by 280 million people every month. The two patents in question come from Secure Web Conference Corporation, a subsidiary of publicly-traded CopyTele. They are 6,856,686 B2 (’686 Patent), and 6,856,687 B2 (’687… → Read More
Jelli, the radio startup offering local stations tools that allow their listener base to control the music selection and playlists, has just been awarded a patent on the concept of user-controlled broadcasting. The patent (U.S. Patent No. 8,392,206) is dubbed “Social Broadcasting User Experience,” and refers to a range of methods related to audience participation with a one-to-many transmission… → Read More
Apple was granted a patent Tuesday by the USPTO that describes a system for implementing multi-touch in a mobile device even when there the display itself isn’t actively showing any images. It’s a neat trick, and one that could help portable gadgets save battery life by not invoking the most battery-hungry element in their construction nearly as frequently. → Read More
Apple has a number of patents on wearable computing, but a new application spotted by AppleInsider blends some old and some new tech to provide a vision of what it might conceivably look like as a shipping product. The patent in question describes a wrist-mounted flexible display, built on a support structure that closely resembles the “slap bracelets” children of the nineties will likely recall. → Read More
Apple had a new patent application published by the USPTO today, describing an unlocking method for digital devices that uses image identification to properly recognize an authorized user. The system would present a user with photographs from their iPhoto or iCloud collections, and then ask them to identify who or what the subject is in order to unlock the device. The item in question could also… → Read More
A new patent application filing Thursday presents a detailed look at how Apple manages its retail floors, offering a behind-the-scenes perspective on a lot of elements that are likely already in use at Apple’s physical stores, as well as things that could potentially be introduced at a later date. Overall, Apple’s stores seem to operate like one giant hive mind directing an army of interactive… → Read More
An Apple patent filing published by the USPTO on Thursday describes a task manager that goes well beyond the standard Reminders app that is now built in to iOS and Mac devices. The patent describes a smart to-do list that combines natural language processing for easy text entry, with contextual information sourced from your device to fill in all the little details that you might omit in making a… → Read More
In ongoing legal proceedings in California, Apple has added six new devices to its patent infringement claims against rival Samsung, getting them in late Friday evening ahead of a deadline on changes to the scope of the complaint. The new additions essentially cover just about every piece of Samsung hardware now available in the U.S. market, with modifications that also account for recent OS… → Read More
Samsung has “no intention” to follow the example of HTC and work out a settlement with legal and consumer tech rival Apple, according to Samsung Electronics Head of Mobile J.K. Shin. He said so to reporters today, the AFP reports, when asked if Samsung might pursue a settlement similar to the 10-year cross-licensing agreement announced by Apple and HTC this past weekend. → Read More
An Apple patent application spotted Thursday by AppleInsider shows a system for detecting unusual motion via a portable gadget’s accelerometer which would sound an alarm, making said device harder to steal. The system is a simple one, without the kind of sophisticated face detection we saw in a previous application, but it could be much more effective for curbing thefts at the moment they occur. → Read More
Editor’s note: Colleen V. Chien is an assistant professor of law at Santa Clara University School of Law. Stefani E. Shanberg is a partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati.
It’s no fun receiving a patent demand, but rest assured, you are not alone. When that dreaded “invitation to license” or, worse, “complaint” arrives at your doorstep, what should you do? → Read More
Late on Friday night in California, Apple made more legal filings against Samsung (we’ve embedded them below), in which it is requesting a further $707 million in damages related to the $1.05 billion verdict against Samsung in Apple’s patent case — and along with it, a request for a sales ban on all of Samsung’s Android handsets — potentially far more damaging to Samsung longer term. The text… → Read More
Like that “pull-to-refresh” feature found in many popular iOS apps, including Twitter, Facebook, Tweetbot, Sparrow and others? Been wondering why Apple hasn’t implemented the same thing in its own apps, like Safari or Mail, for example, when such a thing would make for a dramatically improved user experience? As it turns out, the reason why the feature hasn’t made its way into Apple’s core iOS… → Read More
I realize that patent speak is super verbose for a reason, as those applying want every little nook and cranny of their technology/invention protected. But… well, just look at this: “A three-dimensional imaging and display system is provided in which user input is optically detected in an imaging volume by measuring the path length of an amplitude modulated scanning beam as a function of the… → Read More
Satirical, bizarre and amusing news website Fark has kicked the fark out of a patent troll called Gooseberry Natural Resources LLC. The original lawsuit was leveraged in January, claiming Fark infringed on a patent that covered a “method of inputing news releases into a web form, which would then compile the news release and email it to media outlets.”
The patent, for those who know Fark, has… → Read More
Two Apple patents have just surfaced in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, both of which describe methods for stylus input on a capacitive touchscreen, as well as other surfaces.
Now, Apple hearts patenting things, whether the company actually has plans to act on them or not. Many of them end up untouched, and even forgotten, so there’s no telling if we’ll ever see a super cool new Apple… → Read More
Patent trolling is often a lucrative hobby for many companies that have fallen into hard times. Like the junkies they are, the trolls will spin all sorts of delightful stories exonerating themselves of their actions in order to grab another infusion of cash. That’s why it’s not surprising to read this discussion from the trolls at Lodsys, a company that is now charging small mobile developers for… → Read More
Brightcove was issued a broad patent for the “Distribution of content,” which covers the basic features of a professional online video platform. Patent No. 7,925,973, which was applied for on August 12, 2005 by CEO Jeremy Allaire and CTO Bob Mason, describes some of the basic features of all professional online video players such as customizable players, digital rights management, and… → Read More
Motorola is suing TiVo over their infringing DVR technology, a move that is an attempt to head TiVo off at the pass after it sued Verizon over the same patents. The patents, which detail DVR technology, came from Imedia, a company that Motorola bought in the 1990s.
“TiVo is attempting to assert its patents against technology disclosed and claimed in Motorola Mobility’s patents, despite the fact… → Read More
After two years, LGE and Vizio have settled their differences over patent-infringement disputes in both the US and Taiwan. This legal battle had to do with their flat-panel TVs, but terms weren’t disclosed as to what and how it was settled. But the settlement did end in a licensing agreement “that will resolve all outstanding patent disputes and related actions.” → Read More
Pop the champhers because Apple just got its patents for Cover Flow and the Magic Mouse as well as for Time Machine.
PatentlyApple has all the details but what I find really cool is the idea that the Magic Mouse is actually ambidextrous. → Read More
It looks like Apple is working on a new project. If nothing else, we know they are thinking about it due to a patent that was published today. So what’s the new project? Some type of bicycle computer. There are of course bicycle computer products on the market today, but with some exceptions they’re pretty limited. Knowing Apple, it’s safe to say that if they are getting into the… → Read More
Not to be outdone by the other camera manufacturers, Nikon has been working on an EVIL camera (Canon is already evil, so they haven’t come out with one yet), and we’re finally getting a peek at it. Admittedly, the peek is line drawing and technical specs from a patent application, but it is a peek none the less. Nikon Rumors found the patent applications while looking at Japan’s… → Read More
RIM recently filed a patent application showing a very interesting change to their basic Blackberry design. The patent talks about something called a “multi-tap keyboard user interface”. The intent appears to be adding auditory feedback when pressing keys to help visually impaired users. → Read More
Patents are always so much fun, and such a source of random speculation. Take for example this new LCD display from Nikon. What could it be? Is it for a DLSR? Maybe for video? No one knows, and of course Nikon isn’t talking, but it’s interesting to put your best guess out there. → Read More
Word on the net is that Apple is working on some cooling related patents, specifically related to venting via the USB and firewire ports. In a way it makes sense, but there’s definitely a potential for disaster. What if all your USB ports are filled up with novelty devices? → Read More
They fought each other in courts in the USA, Europe, Japan and Korea since summer 2007, but now Samsung and Sharp finally settled [Sharp's official press release in English] all their ongoing lawsuits over LCD technology patents. The suits (initiated by Sharp) concerned a total of five different LCD-related technologies Sharp owned, i.e. regarding the “brightness, response speeds and viewing… → Read More
Good news in the lawsuit against Netflix and Blockbuster; the legal system for the great state of California has judged that the rental queue patent was not violated! → Read More
So AppleInsider found a patent that shows a multi-touch clickwheel. You pinch in to turn the music down and pinch out to turn it up. Blah-blah. More specifically, the 38-page filing made just this past September describes a “multi-dimensional scroll wheel” that “can sense a moving object, such as a finger, as it is moved not only in a rotational manner but also in a linear manner… → Read More
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