Google has confirmed it snapped up a bundle of IBM patents, in a move that is believed to be defensive against the growing number of IP-based lawsuits. The 1,030 patents acquired cover a broad range of technologies, SEO by the Sea reports, including memory and microprocessor chip fabrication/architecture, server and router design, and software programming such as relational databases, object oriented programming and more.
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‘patent’ Stories
Google buys 1,030 IBM patents to strengthen IP catalog
Nokia, ZTE and Huawei face InterDigital 3G patent lawsuit
The ebb and flow of the patent battles in the tech world never cease to amuse me. They are never ending for many firms. Nokia is one of the tech firms that is always on the giving or receiving end of legal drama. Not too long ago Nokia beat Apple in court and Apple was forced to pay licensing fees to Nokia. Nokia is now on the other side of a legal dispute with a suit filed by InterDigital.
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HTC bypasses Apple patent ire for 2012 Android range
HTC has reportedly developed workaround technologies for those systems the ITC deemed infringed on Apple’s patents, and will shift its 2012 smartphone range to the new solutions no matter the outcome of its appeal. The company has called on help from component suppliers as well as software and firmware providers, DigiTimes reports, in an attempt to limit liability – should the ITC’s preliminary judgement be upheld – to the last generation of handsets developed in 2011.
Apple Flat Keyless Keyboard Patent Revealed
It appears that in addition do their Motion-Sensitive keyboard patent, Apple has sent out a patent application for a "Flat Keyless Keyboard for Desktops & More." This application was signed for late last week and may be entirely flat or may include at least one input surface which may be constructed of glass, metal, plastic, or any other solid material Apple might end up wanting to use. In the case of glass, the keys could be painted on the surface or shown beneath the surface of the glass on a display, not unlike on-screen keyboards working on smartphones and tablets today.
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Acer ready for Apple’s “Patent War” insists chairman
Acer chairman JT Wang has accused Apple of starting a "patent war" but claims his company is ready and willing to fight, despite having watched as fellow Android OEMs have been hit hard by the Cupertino legal crusade. According to Wang, DigiTimes reports, Apple's goal is "money or market influence" and that "any related losses" should be considered "as costs of doing business."
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Google CEO Larry Page faces 2hr Oracle grilling in patent case
Google CEO Larry Page will face a two hour grilling in the Oracle patent infringement suit, after the judge presiding the case agreed that the exec should answer questions as to whether Android willfully oversteps into Oracle’s intellectual property. Google’s attorneys were warned that the search giant would definitely be looking at paying damages “probably in the millions, maybe in the billion,” FOSSPatents reports, though also saved some scorn for Oracle, which was scolded that ”this [court] is not a wholly owned subsidiary of Oracle Corp.”
Apple contributes to Nokia’s €430m patent settlement income
With Nokia's Q2 2011 financial results painting a picture of a company weeping money while it desperately retools, there was one glimmer of hope amid the misery. Having beaten Apple in the courts back in June over patent licensing issues, and secured not only a one-time payment but ongoing fees, Nokia declared approximately €430m ($611m) in IPR royalty income, something CEO Stephen Elop described as having "validated" the company's legal strength.
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Google chairman: Apple’s lawsuits prompted by jealousy and innovation-shortfall
Google chairman Eric Schmidt has accused Apple and others of jealousy over Android’s success, claiming the spate of patent lawsuits against Android OEMs are “just inspired by our success.” Speaking in Tokyo at the Google Mobile Revolution conference, Schmidt suggested that “the big news in the past year has been the explosion of Google Android handsets and this means our competitors are responding,” PerthNow reports, going on to sneer that “they are not responding with innovation, they’re responding with lawsuits.”
Android legal losses reportedly prompt exodus to Windows Phone and MeeGo
HTC's recent legal loss in the ITC Apple patent case, along with Microsoft's aggressive patent push amid Android OEMs, has reportedly left manufacturers increasingly wary of Google's open-source OS. According to the 21st Century Business Herald, growing Chinese brands like ZTE and Huawei are looking to adopt Windows Phone Mango either as a placatory measure toward Microsoft or the first step in a transition from over-reliance on Android. However, the platform spat could also have an unlikely beneficiary: MeeGo.
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HTC vows to fight Apple in appeal courts over ITC spanking
HTC has vowed to fight Apple in the courts, after the ITC ruled late last week that the company had infringed on two patents with its Android handsets. "Now the course of action is to appeal," HTC CFO Winston Yung said, going on to suggest that "we believe we have a very strong case, the attorney agrees with us, and therefore we will appeal" the WSJ reports. HTC has highlighted the findings of an independent staff attorney at the ITC, whose opinion differed from the official preliminary ruling.
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SlashGear Week in Review – Week 29 2011
Welcome to this week's edition of the SlashGear Week in Review, let's get to it! The Vol Speaker concept turned up this week with a design that makes it look like a big volume knob. The concept has a rechargeable battery inside for portable listening. We learned that Android 3.2 fixes the screen incompatibility for apps that were previously handset only. The OS will get the ability to change from stretch to fill and zoom to fill the screen.
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Android patent situation not critical insists Google CEO
Google CEO Larry Page has denied that Android is under attack from the swelling patent coffers of its rivals and the increasing threat of IP litigation. "Obviously, we have a lot of IP in progress - not only what has been issued" the chief exec insisted during Google's financial earnings call, TechCrunch reports, going on to point out that "despite the efforts of some of our competitors, there hasn't been any slow down."
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