Tag Archives: Apple Patent

Apple Shakes Up Patent Team

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Apple is involved in several patent cases right now, and with their chief patent counsel leaving and a new one coming in, it appears that there has been a shakeup.  This is possibly leading up to more pressure on Android and it’s infringements on Apple’s patents.  It’s hard to find an Android phone that does not have at least some similarity to iOS.  Apple has not gotten far with their current lawsuits as well which suggests there might be a performance issue with the current head counsel and Apple has decided to part ways and bring in a fresh face.  Richard Lutton is being replaced by BJ Watrous.

Source: Reuters

Apple Patents 1 Meter Range Wireless Charging System

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We’ll if you’re in the market for a charging system that’s the size of your desk wirelessly then Apple may have that for you someday as revealed by a recent patent application.(physorg.com)  Apple has a history of taking things and making them better, so if Apple were to release an inductive charging system, it’s probably going to be better than what we have today.

Microsoft looser if Google or Apple win Nortel Patent Bid

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The Department of Justice cleared Google for their bid on the Nortel patent war chest that Microsoft had previously said was unfair because if allowed to acquire the patents and nullify existing agreements then Microsoft would lose what they stated was a free license to those patents.  Apple is also bidding on these patents with the bids topping 1 billion dollars.  If either Google or Apple win these patents which include LTE patents it would be a huge victory for either company allowing them to re-license the patents to those who are using the technology.  Google wants the patents to fend off other lawsuits over Android, and Apple wants the patents so they can further establish the iPhone as a LTE model which might be cheaper if they own some LTE patents to begin with.  I think license money would be secondary, but if Apple did win the patents it would make Android that much more expensive for carriers who at first paid nothing, but now have to license patents through various firms who won against Android.

This the same crux of the battle with Samsung.  If Apple is victorious then Android will cost that much more to license and they’ll have to license with Apple.  Nokia recently settled with Apple which also forces Android makers to pay Nokia for patents they may be infringing.  Expect a flurry of lawsuits as Nokia loses its position as the #1 phone maker, and falls back on their extensive patent portfolio to extract revenue from those patents.