Tag: lawsuit

Paypal throws a hook, Launches Mobile to Mobile NFC Payments

Paypal usually not preferred by Sellers has announced a new Mobile-Mobile NFC payment system at the Mobile Beat 2011. NFC equipped Device owners, majorly Nexus S, can accept transactions from other NFC equipped devices.

Currently the functionality is limited – there is only the Nexus S which is supported- and only specific type of transfer requests can be made. Paypal promises its working hard to roll out the system more commercially. Also to note – Inter-Mobile transactions will be free of cost especially if you are using a tied bank account or Paypal credit.

The app will be available for free in the Android Marketplace in the coming months. Check out the video demo below

July 14, 2011
Apple vs Samsung – Apple denied a Sped up Suit

In the case of Apple vs Samsung, Samsung was earlier denied the motion to put a stop on sale of Apple products in the US which broke the patents held by Samsung. Apple went on to countersue and asked for a ban on sale of Samsung Products like the Galaxy Tab and Galaxy S2 / S among others. Apple has also asked to see upcoming products from the company to ensure that none of them violate trademark and copyright laws.

Whats more Apple had also asked for the Judge to speed up the hearing and briefing process. The court put Apple down by denying its request to compress the briefing schedule. The reson for denial is stated as “Apple’s knowledge of Samsung’s alleged infringement for more than a year and the fact it engaged in license negotiations with the Korean company during that time.”

[Order (PDF)]

July 14, 2011
HTC Tells Apple to not be a Nasty Sue Baby

Apple has been suing every bit of competition they find in the market including their latest attack target – HTC. In an attempt to weaken the morale of the folks at Cupertino HTC’s general counsel Grace Lei said:

HTC is disappointed at Apple’s constant attempts at litigations instead of competing fairly in the market.

This comes after a previous attempt from Apple to stop imports of products by HTC in the US. Final resolution of the previous case is due this month, while Apple has already planned ahead.

July 13, 2011
Apple Files second Patent Infringement Complaint against HTC – Shares Drop

Its only been a couple of months and Apple has slammed HTC with the second patent infringement case. The US International Trade Commission is reporting that HTC is being accused and is being asked to stop the import of “personal electronic devices”. Last year, Apple filed a separate action against HTC with the U.S. International Trade Commission, where HTC then leveled its own patent infringement claims against Apple. Preliminary rulings for those cases are expected this week.

Shares in the world’s No.5 handset maker, HTC Corp (2498.TW), tumbled more than 4 percent on Tuesday, after Apple Inc (AAPL.O) sued the company in a fresh complaint with a U.S. trade panel.

HTC said its net profit doubled in the second quarter, beating market expectations. But analysts suggested that because the operating income tracked forecasts, they expected shares of HTC would consolidate before the investor conference at the end of this month, when the company gives guidance for the third quarter. There are rumours out there that HTC would need to pay Apple T$20 billion ($693.64 million) in compensation.

That would lower down profit expectations considerably.

July 12, 2011
Apple Sues Samsung for the Second time , Now in Korea

Apple inc. has filed a suit for the second time, against Samsung for copying the iPhone’s design. The suit claims that the Samsung Galaxy S copies the third-generation iPhone.

“It is no coincidence that Samsung’s latest products look a lot like the iPhone and iPad from the shape of the hardware to the user interface and even the packaging,” an Apple spokesperson said regarding case

The suing war started back in April when Apple sued Samsung claiming it copied “Apple’s technology, user interface and innovative style in these infringing products.” Samsung responded just one week later by filing countersuits.

The interesting aspect behind all of this is that Apple is currently Samsung’s largest buyer of LCD components. Go figure !

June 25, 2011
Apple’s iPhone sales in India under the scanner

The Apple iPhone sales in India are under the Indian Governments scanner for alleged anticompetitive behavior. The main reason for this probe is Apple’s ability to limit the sale of their handset via only two major carriers – Namely Airtel and Aircel.

A Competition Commission of India official said on Wednesday that a case was filed against Apple about a month ago. The complaint alleges that the company violated competition law by selling the iPhone 4 through only two mobile operators, Bharti Airtel and Aircel. The official, speaking anonymously, said the Commission would look into the complaint’s merits. He did not disclose the complainant.

Apple had this to say :

Both carriers sell unlocked iPhone 4s with optional data plans. Some third-party retailers also carry the handset separate of any wireless contract, so there is no anticompetitive activity being carried out.

June 24, 2011
Apple Increases Attack against Samsung, Adds More devices to the Suit
Apple has added a bunch of other Samsung Smartphones to their already existing Lawsuit, that claims that Samsung Infringes copyrights that belong to Apple. The new additions to the suit include
- DROID Charge
- Exhibit 4G
- Galaxy Ace
- Galaxy Prevail
- Galaxy S
- Gravity
- Infuse 4G
- Nexus S 4G
- Replenish
- Galaxy Tab 10.1
- Galaxy S II
Apple had earlier already filed a complaint against Galaxy S, Nexus S, Epic 4G, and Galaxy Tab among other products.

[quote]Before Apple’s introduction of the first iPhone product, no other company was offering a phone with these features. Prior mobile phones were often bulkier and contained physical keypads. Some had a rocker-style navigation button and sets of buttons for numbers and calling features. Others had a front panel with a partial or full QWERTY keyboard and a screen. None had the clean lines of the iPhone, which immediately caused it to stand apart from the competition.[/quote]
June 18, 2011
Apple now sued for “iBooks” Trademark infringement

New York publisher John T. Colby purchased assets belonging to publisher Byron Preiss several years ago, and included in that buy were more than 1,000 books published under the “ibooks” name. Apple does however have a trademark for “iBook” which was a laptop they released prior to MacBooks.

John T. Colby currently owns the copyright to the iBooks name and has decided to Sue Apple for the same.

[quote]Apple’s use of the mark ‘iBooks’ to denote the electronic library that can be accessed via its iPad tablet computer and its iPhone is likely to overwhelm the good will of plaintiffs’ ‘ibooks’ and ‘ipicturebooks’ marks and render them virtually worthless,” Colby’s lawsuit states.[/quote]

June 17, 2011
Apple Sues Samsung for the Galaxy S, Galaxy Tab and other Infringements

According to a report by the Wall Street Journal , Apple sued Samsung Electronics Co., claiming that Samsung’s Galaxy line of mobile phones and tablet copied Apple’s iPhone and iPad. For patent infringements.

The Filing claims

“Rather than innovate and develop its own technology and a unique Samsung style for its smart phone products and computer tablets, Samsung chose to copy Apple’s technology, user interface and innovative style in these infringing products,”

The lawsuit is kind of ironic, because Samsung manufactures key components that go into Apple Products, from Displays, to microchips and even camera sensors. This lawsuit ma actually sour the relationships between the two smartphone giants and result in other tie-ups.

The new Galaxy Tab is also the strongest rival to the iPad 2 , which may have been the biggest cause for the lawsuit.

April 19, 2011
Apple sues Amazon over App Store trademark infringement

Apple was already in Battle with Microsoft for their “APP Store” Trademark infringement. Now Amazon is releasing its APP Store for the Android OS platform. But, Amazon’s Android Appstore seems to have been intentionally contracted to a single word to differentiate its name. Apple claims it reached out to Amazon on three separate occasions asking it to rename its software download offering, but when faced with the lack of a “substantive response,” it decided to take things to court.

“We have a long-standing practice of not commenting on pending litigation,” Mary Osako, a spokeswoman for Seattle-based Amazon, said late yesterday.

Apple said in the court filing that it contacted Amazon three times to demand that it cease using the name and that Amazon hadn’t “provided a substantive response.”

“We’ve asked Amazon not to copy the App Store name because it will confuse and mislead customers,” said Kristin Huguet, a spokeswoman for Apple.

[Bloomberg]

March 22, 2011