Samsung buys Cambridge Silicon Radio

Blowing this week’s pocket money in one place, Samsung has picked up Cambridge Silicon Radio, designer and developer of mobile connectivity semiconductor systems. Besides the acquisition of whatever technologies the company has and is in the process of developing, there will also be the benefit of the patent horde that is undoubtedly part of the deal.

Cambridge Silicon Radio (CSR) provides numerous technologies for multifunction connectivity, audio products and location platforms, supporting Bluetooth, GPS, FM broadcasting, WiFi, audio, near field communications and ARM processors. OEMs using CSR technologies include Samsung, Motorola, HTC, Nokia, Sennheiser and Creative among others. 

Apple's suit against Galaxy Tab bombs in UK

Following the recent loss gainst HTC, a UK court has thrown out Apple’s claim that its iPad design was illegally copied by Galaxy Tab maker, Samsung. The judge found that the design of Samsung’s three Tab devices doesn’t infringe Apple’s “registered” design, and ruled that consumers are unlikely to confuse them with the iPad.

Following the judgement, Samsung released a statement slamming Apple for its anticompetitive tactics, claiming… “Should Apple continue to make excessive legal claims in other countries based on such generic designs, innovation in the industry could be harmed and consumer choice unduly limited”.

Brit court rules Apple patents invalid – HTC wins

In handing down a massive defeat to Apple in a watershed patent tussle, British Judge Christopher Floyd ruled that HTC’s devices don’t infringe the four patents charged by the Cupertino-based iDevice vendor. The judge found in fact that three of the four patents are actually invalid. This is a huge blow to Apple, which had seen some temporary judgments go its way in other jurisdictions on its patent claims.

Besides the ludicrous “slide to unlock” farce, today’s verdict also affected Apple’s patents for scrolling through images, character set selection, and multi-touch capability. These patents were arguably Apple’s most potentially-damaging weapons in the global IP wars the company started with Android, and by invalidating them, the British court has effectively gutted the iPhone maker’s campaign to litigate its competitors out of the UK market.

Apple ban on HTC rejected by ITC

Earlier this year, Apple was successful in a patent suit that resulted in HTC removing some allegedly infringing functions from its handsets in order to continue selling in the US. The US Customs department subsequently stopped imports at the border for several days while they examined HTC’s One series smartphones for compliance with the court-ordered changes before releasing them into the country. So that’s OK then. Isn’t it?

The world’s most litigious corporation had other ideas. In June, Apple filed a complaint accusing HTC of lying to customs in order to skirt the exclusion order. It was Apple’s contention that HTC had not made the changes specified in the ban order, and was thus in breach of the court’s dictate.

Apple succeeds in getting Google Nexus banned [u]

Following a Friday hearing before Judge Lucy Koh at the Californial District Court in San Jose, Samsung’s Google Nexus smartphone has been temporarily banned in the US. Apple was successful in convincing the Judge that its claims of patent infringement were likely to succeed based primarily on the validity of the so-called “Siri” patent. Although there are four patents at issue, the Judge has issued the temporary injunction based on the one she believes may be costing Apple sales of its flagship iPhone 4S.

While the Galaxy nexus is not Samsung’s biggest seller, the fact that it’s the latest “vanilla” development device, designed and built with input from Google, gives it an importance that exceeds its mere sales numbers. Judge Koh, in her ruling on the injunction, stated… "Apple has clearly shown that it is likely to suffer irreparable harm in the absence of preliminary injunctive relief”.

However, she also acknowledged that Samsung was definitely going to suffer irreparable harm as a result of her agreeing to the injunction, and ordered Apple to post bond to the tune of US$96 million as compensation for lost sales should the forthcoming patent trial find Samsung was not infringing Apple’s patents.

Apple loses big time in US patent battle

In a massive defeat for Apple and a mixed victory for Motorola, respected US jurist Richard Posner dismissed the attempted handset ban ‘with prejudice’.

Judge Richard Posner has dismissed Apple’s further legal attempt to ban numerous Motorola smartphones in the US market, labeling the action “against the public interest”. In a case that dates back to 2010, Apple had tried to ban its rival’s handsets, claiming the patents Motorola Mobile allegedly infringed upon were causing the iDevice vendor “harm”.

Apple unlikely to get Motorola banned in US

Stating that an order barring the sale of Motorola phones could have "catastrophic effects" for the mobile marketplace, Judge Richard Posner has given Apple his strongest hint yet that the iDevice maker’s attempt to have a ban enforced on a number of Motorola handsets is doomed.

Judge Posner had previously stated his view that such an injunction would not be in the public interest. In response to the jurist’s lack of empathy toward Apple’s case for injunctive relief, Apple’s attorney, in an apparent attempt to appear more conciliatory, resorted to the position that an injunction might alternatively force removal of the technologies that it alleges Motorola has infringed, within three months.

Apple vs Motorola patent case back on

Despite his earlier tentative decision to end the patent action in a Chicago court, Judge Posner changed his mind and has confirmed he will hear Apple’s plea for injunctive relief against several Motorola mobile phones.

The judge’s earlier pronouncement was that any injunction would be contrary to the public interest, effectively scuppering Apple’s attempt to have its competitor’s devices banned in the US. Apple immediately objected to that ruling, and after weighing up the options and consequences, Judge Posner has agreed to allow the two sides to make their case for injunctions.

Tech Crunch outs Apple as feeding a patent troll

In keeping with its strategy for world domination in consumer electronics, (and more relevant to AndroidNZ, the world of mobile devices), Apple has surreptitiously transferred a dozen patents that it previously "owned" to a non-existent corporate entity called Cliff Island LLC.

Tech crunch have done a little digging and it appears that Cliff Island is a shell company, sharing a physical address with Altitude Capital, the main investor behind patent trolling company Digitude Innovations (ironic name, n'est pas?).

Cliff Island then transferred those same patents to Digitude who have now filed a suit with the ITC (International Trade Commission) in the US against basically all the smartphone and tablet makers selling in America - except Apple, that is. How mysterious.

So what we're seeing here is Apple suing its competitors out of the market, yet again, but this time by proxy. And it's interesting that the patent transfers have taken place under some sneaky back-room sleight of hand.

The whole article and its links to a Forbes piece on Digitude can be read at the Tech Crunch site. It's worth a look at just how out of control Apple has become, and the folks at TC deserve the clicks for their excellent effort in bringing this to light.

This seems to be a case where the US DOJ may yet be involved. Interesting times.

Source: Tech Crunch