Patent Infringement | "Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) Secures New Stylus Patent"

By : David Woodburn 
Source : www.insidermonkey.com 
Category : Patent Infringement 

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has officially taken the stylus to a whole new level with its latest approved patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The stylus – that little pen-like object that has been used for years on touchscreens, like the old Palm Pilots and several current tablet models – is getting a major makeover thanks to Microsoft. It’s such a change, that the company is changing the name from “stylus” to an “ePen.”

The new stylus design from Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is expected to increase overall functionality of the stylus and bring better synchronicity with a tablet or smartphone. The sketches here, provided by PatentBolt, show some of the uses for this ePen. The user could select the color of “ink” to use, can change the thickness of a line, and it could even used as an eraser. Other sensors like a compass, accelerometer and even a gyroscope are included in this device.

Microsoft Corporation ePenWhile Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has downplayed the usefulness of the stylus, there has been broad appeal in that it is still an accessory to many tablets and smartphones in the market – mostly due to it being more precise than fingers to manipulate a touchscreen. But this new device seems not only to be useful for the drawing and creative types, but it may have the tools necessary for it to be a game controller, a musical instrument for use with certain applications, or it can just be a more exacting and intuitive mode of input. It seems possible that this new ePen may even have the ability to access the user’s favorite apps automatically simply by the user’s grip or angle.

As this patent application was filed in spring of 2011, thus it took nearly 18 months to get approval, there is no word on when the ePen would come to market, much less a price-point for the device; but it’s possible that Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) will sell this separately from its touchscreen devices so it can be interchangeable between tablets and smartphones even if the user has different models or versions.

Source : www.insidermonkey.com/blog/microsoft-corporation-msft-secures-new-stylus-patent-17175/

Patent Infringement | "The Next Big Tech Battle Could Be Apple Versus Amazon (AAPL, AMZN)"

By : Owen Thomas 
Source : http://www.sfgate.com 
Category : Patent Infringement 

Bolstered by a huge victory in its patent-infringement case against Samsung, where could Apple turn next?

To the north, in Seattle, there's a juicy target: Amazon.com.

Amazon is widely expected to introduce new mobile devices next month—possibly a smartphone but almost certainly new Kindle tablets that compete with the iPad.

Either way, Apple's not going to like that.

Far more broadly, Amazon and Apple have been on a collision course in digital media and e-commerce for years.

Apple and Amazon sell music. Apple and Amazon sell movies. Apple and Amazon sell e-books. And Apple and Amazon both sell tablets, the iPad and the Kindle families, designed to consume the media they sell.

The companies weren't always on unfriendly terms. In 2000, Apple and Amazon struck a patent cross-licensing agreement that covered Amazon's famous 1-Click checkout.

And in the ensuing years, the companies have not publicly engaged in any notable patent battles, suggesting that the companies' deal may provide for an ongoing patent ceasefire.

We asked Apple and Amazon for comment on this story. Amazon declined to comment and Apple didn't respond to our request.

But even in that press release announcing its 1-Click deal, Apple was touting its own innovations. It noted that one-click downloading of digital software was an "industry first."

In the years since, Apple has been building up a formidable patent library in digital media. The name of Patrice Gautier, an Apple engineering vice president in charge of the iTunes Store and iCloud, has his name on a dozen patents, most related to downloading and purchasing digital media, and 30 pending applications.

In May, patents expert Florian Mueller speculated that Amazon could be a "logical" target for some of Apple's tablet-related patents.

Amazon has been busy, too. In 2010, it signed a cross-licensing deal with Microsoft to cover a variety of patents. And recently, it's been recruiting intellectual-property experts to build up its portfolio.

Apple and Amazon have been tussling in court over the term "app store" after Amazon launched its Android Appstore in March 2011. Apple believes it's a protected trademark. Amazon says it's a generic term.

Meanwhile, Apple has been making quiet moves into e-commerce, noting that 400 million users have registered credit cards to their iTunes accounts, more than double the number of active Amazon accounts. Its new mobile operating system, iOS 6, has a Passbook feature for coupons and tickets which many believe is its first step into offering a digital wallet.

If Apple and Amazon go to war, the dispute could blow away Apple v. Samsung, covering smartphones, tablets, e-commerce, and digital payments. The question of just how explosive it could get depends on the details of the agreement Amazon and Apple struck way back in 2000.

Get ready, because Apple and Amazon are already girded for battle.

Source : http://www.sfgate.com/technology/businessinsider/article/The-Next-Big-Tech-Battle-Could-Be-Apple-Versus-3818753.php#ixzz24ouITUq3

Paatent Infringement | "Apple Wins: Samsung Infringes: Is Mobile Search Affected?"

By : Barry Schwartz 
Source : http://www.seroundtable.com 
Category : Patent Infringement 

Late Friday, the court ruled in the patent case of Apple versus Samsung. In short, Apple destroyed Samsung and most of the claims of patent infringement against Samsung were found legit.

Apple was awarded about $1.5 billion in damages, which is not a lot for Apple but it is more about values and principle for Apple than the money.

Of course, this means Samsung will likely have to make lots of changes on their devices. I am not sure what it means for existing devices.

The big question now is, will Apple sue Google over Android? The Verge has a statement from Google saying:

    The court of appeals will review both infringement and the validity of the patent claims. Most of these don't relate to the core Android operating system, and several are being re-examined by the US Patent Office. The mobile industry is moving fast and all players - including newcomers - are building upon ideas that have been around for decades. We work with our partners to give consumers innovative and affordable products, and we don't want anything to limit that.

They act like they are not worried but I would think Apple will go after Google. As a matter of principle.

Now if they do, what type of impact will this have on mobile search, voice search and image search? On that front, I suspect not much. But I am no lawyer. Greg Sterling, who was/is a lawyer and knows his thing on search, wrote a lot about this at Marketing Land.

Source : http://www.seroundtable.com/apple-samsung-15617.html

Paatent Infringement | "Mformation Wins $147M from RIM for Patent Infringement"

By : Richard Springer
Source : http://indiawest.com
Category : Paatent Infringement


Mformation Technologies, an Edison, N.J.-based provider of mobile device management software, has won a patent lawsuit against Canadian firm Research in Motion, the maker of the Blackberry device.

A San Francisco jury July 13 ordered RIM to pay $147 million in damages for infringing on Mformation’s patents.

Rakesh Kushwaha founded Mformation Technologies in 1999 and has served as the company’s chief technology officer since that time.

Kushwaha was lead inventor of the patents in question. Chief scientist Badri Nath was listed as a co-inventor.

The software involved allows companies to access employees’ mobile phones remotely for upgrades, password changes or to delete data. The judge in U.S. federal District Court in Northern California calculated damages based on $8 per Blackberry device in use in the U.S. since the claim was first filed in 2008.

“We believe (the patents have) been fundamental to the success of Research in Motion,” said Amar Thakur, a San Diego, Calif.-based attorney for Mformation.

Kushwaha added in a press release, “Mformation created the mobile device management category in the late 1990s and was innovating in this area well before most of the market understood the fundamental importance of wireless mobility management.”

Damages relate only to royalties on past sales in the U.S. and don’t cover future sales or sales outside the U.S.

RIM said in a press release it was “disappointed” by the outcome and is evaluating its legal options.

"Additionally, the trial judge has yet to decide certain legal issues that might impact the verdict. RIM will await those rulings before deciding whether to pursue an appeal,” the company said.

Before founding Mformation, Kushwaha designed service management systems for telecom companies AT&T, Concert Communications and Millicom Cellular International. A former vice president of engineering at Savera Systems, the Indian American executive was also a senior member of the technical staff at Bell Laboratories and assistant professor of computer science at the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

Kushwaha has a M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in computer science from the New Jersey Institute of Technology and a B.S. in engineering from Delhi University. Mformation recently closed a $1.3 million funding round from non-disclosed investors.

Source : http://indiawest.com/news/5831-mformation-wins-147m-from-rim-for-patent-infringement.html