Microsoft sued over Windows 8 live tiles

There are suing news - not only by Apple against Samsung, but this time its against Microsoft by Surfcast Inc over the Windows 8 titles, which has barely been launched by Microsoft Corp.

Live tiles, which display notifications and updates in real time, are a major feature of Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, which were launched in late October.

Surfcast Inc. filed the complaint for patent infringement before the US District Court in Maine last Oct. 30.

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"We developed the concept of Tiles in the 1990s, which was ahead of its time. Microsoft’s Live Tiles are the centerpiece of Microsoft’s new Operating Systems and are covered by our patent," SurfCast CEO Ovid Santoro said.

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FujiFilm sues Motorola over phone patents

Japan's FujiFilm is suing Google's Motorola Mobility subsidiary over four patents associated with digital camera and photo technology in cellphones.

The lawsuit has its roots in April 2011, when FujiFilm says it first notified Motorola that it believed the cellphone maker was infringing on the four patents.

The companies held a number of face-to-face meetings, according to FujiFilm. The matter was apparently not resolved to FujiFilm's liking and that led to this week's lawsuit.

Read more and see a list of patents in question: Computer World

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Damning Evidence Emerges In Google-Apple

Next week a class-action civil lawsuit will be heard in San Jose to determine if Google, Apple, Pixar, Lucasfilm, Adobe, Intel, and Intuit conspired to eliminate competition for skilled labor. 

In anticipation of the hearing, TechCrunch has obtained evidence from the Department of Justice’s investigation in 2010 which was made public this evening for the first time. It appears to support the plaintiff’s case that the defendant companies tried to suppress employee compensation by entering into “no poach” agreements.

Read more: Tech Crunch

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Kodak Sues Apple and HTC Over Digital Imaging Technology Patent

For the past many months the world is sick and tired of listening to news of Apple launching lawsuits against company X, then company Y and even company Z for copyright infringement and design similarities. 

But this tile here is something different - someone suing Apple - something for a taste of change. Kodak has taken courage and has recently sued Apple and even HTC over Diigital Imaging Technology patent.

 Wall Street Journal reports :-

The 131-year-old company is still making last-ditch efforts to sell off some of its patent portfolio and could avoid Chapter 11 if it succeeds, one of the people said.

But the company has started making preparations for a filing in case those efforts fail, including talking to banks about some $1 billion in financing to keep it afloat during bankruptcy proceedings, the people said.

Now this is to be seen how Apple counters Kodak move and who is the ultimate winner in the end. We are keeping our fingers crossed. 

Read more:  Chip Hazard

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Apple Will Pay Elan Microelectronics $5 Million To Settle Patent Infringement Case

[ via Huffington Post ] 5 Jan

Elan Microelectronics Corp, a Taiwanese touch design company, said on Thursday that Apple Inc will pay $5 million as part of a settlement in a patent infringement case. The statement said the two companies would also exchange authorizations to use each other's patents, Huffington Post reports quoting Reuters.

In 2009, Elan sued Apple in the United States over two patent infringements and the California-based giant counter-sued later the same year.

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) ruled in favour of Apple in June last year, saying Apple had not violated U.S. trade law.

Read more: Huffington Post

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Apple Wins Patent Victory over Android

[ via Mashable ] 20 Dec

Apple was just handed potentially its biggest victory yet in its ongoing patent lawsuits with Google Android. The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) ruled today that Android devices that display phone numbers in a specific way should be banned for violating Apple’s patents. The ruling potentially bans phones like the HTC EVO 4G, Droid Incredible and T-Mobile G2, starting in the spring of 2012.

The ruling effectively bans HTC from selling those devices beginning April 19, 2012, although units sold before then will be unaffected, and HTC will be able to import refurbished products in order to honor warranties on those phones until December 19, 2013.

The ruling is a big symbolic victory for Apple, since it deals with how Android itself works, not actually software specific to HTC. It also theoretically gives Apple free reign to go after any Android manufacturer it cares to with the same patent.

Read more at Mashable

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Feds Withdraw Lawsuit Against AT&T Over T-Mobile

[ Mashable ] 11 Dec

The U.S. Justice Department has asked a federal judge to postpone or withdraw its petition to stop AT&T from acquiring T-Mobile. It cited a shifting regulatory landscape that makes the AT&T/T-Mobile lawsuit unnecessary.

The request, as reported by Bloomberg on Friday, appears to be part of the strategic tit-for-tat between AT&T and the regulators who are determined to stop the merger.

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Apple Sues Amazon Over Using The Term “App Store”

Full Story: Chip Hazard / Wahaab JB

After dragging Samsung and Android in courts for long, Apple has now turned its guns towards Amazon for using the term "App Store," which Apple considers its very own propriety. 

Since March, Apple has been suing retailers/tablet makers of using that term and now Amazon by calling its app center for Kindle ” Amazon Appstore, Amazon has risked to get chased by Apple’s lawyers. The new battle begins in October 2012.

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Apple to provide iPhone 4S Source Code To Samsung In Australia

Full Story: Chip Hazard 12 November 2011

Apple finally loses to Samsung in Australia when it agreed to provide source code of iPhone 4S to Samsung after an Australian court ruling. It is a big success for Samsung, which has been embattled with Apple in one lawsuit after the other. Now Samsung will have access to Apple’s source code for the iPhone 4S, which will prove whether Apple infringes the Korean giant’s patents or not.

The hearing mostly focused on the construction of the scope of patents. Apple went on the direction of claiming those patents to have no meaning, whereas the judge didn’t side with Apple on that one and stated to prove Samsung’s patent requests to be invalid if it wants decision on it favor.

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