Nobody would disagree with the assertion that the patent system in this country is in a state of chaos. Most of the big internet companies and all the major players in the mobile segment are in litigation over patents, either suing or being sued. It's an incredible waste of time and resources. Among the big match-ups are Apple vs Samsung-Android and Motorola (now Google by virtue of the acquisition) vs Apple and Microsoft. Last week Chicago-based US District Court Judge Richard Posner simply dismissed a closely watched patent case involving Apple and Motorola. Each had sued the other and [...]

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According to reports just coming out, the jury in the Oracle-Google trial has found that Google did not infringe any of Oracle's patents with Android. Thus there are no damages that Google must pay to Oracle. This is near total victory for Google. In an earlier phase of the trial Google was found by the jury to have violated Oracle's copyright in using some Java code in Android APIs. However, the jury deadlocked on the question of Google's defense of "fair use." The status of that portion of the trial is still unresolved. Final determinations about the copyright issues will be mad [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Mobile Marketing | Google: Android | Google: Legal | Google: Mobile | Legal: General | Legal: Patents

According to published reports, a federal jury earlier today delivered a mixed result in Oracle v. Google. The jury found that Google had in fact infringed on Oracle's Java copyright (by virtue of its Sun Microsystems acquisition) in using some Java code in Android and related APIs. However it deadlocked on the question of whether that infringement was protected by the doctrine of "fair use." Fair use is a defense against a claim of copyright infringement. There were more findings and procedural nuances, more fully explained in the Mercury News article on the case. Google has now moved f [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Mobile Marketing | Google: Android | Google: Business Issues | Google: Legal | Google: Mobile | Legal: Copyright & Trademark | Legal: General | Legal: Patents | Top News

Even as it was selling more and more handsets Google's Android platform apparently lost considerable money throughout 2010, according to remarks made by the Judge in the Oracle-Google intellectual property trial. According to Reuters, Judge William Alsup commented on otherwise sealed financial documents submitted by Google to the court. "That adds up to a big loss for the whole year," the Judge reflected. This, despite generating nearly $100 million in revenue in Q1 2010. The reason this came up is because Android profit and loss records were submitted to the court as part of a damages h [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Google: Android | Google: Business Issues | Google: Legal | Legal: Copyright & Trademark | Legal: Patents

Just two weeks after Microsoft bought more than 925 patents from AOL, the company is turning around and selling about 650 of them to Facebook. The deal also allows Facebook to license the other AOL patents that it's not buying from Microsoft. According to today's announcement, the sale will cost Facebook about $550 million -- close to half of what Microsoft originally spent on the AOL patents. Microsoft says the sale is motivated by financial reasons. "Today’s agreement with Facebook enables us to recoup over half of our costs while achieving our goals from the AOL auction," says Micr [...]

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AOL and Microsoft have announced an agreement covering the sale of more than 800 AOL patents to Microsoft for $1.056 billion dollars. As part of the agreement, Microsoft also gains a non-exclusive license to more than 300 other patents that AOL is retaining. And AOL also continues to hold a license on the patents that it's selling to Microsoft. The deal comes at a time when tech companies are in something of an arms race over patents, and even a war with Yahoo recently suing Facebook for patent infringement and Facebook counter-suing Yahoo for the same reason. Google bought Motorola Mob [...]

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As is being widely reported, Yahoo filed a patent lawsuit against Facebook today in US Federal Court in the Northern District of California. At the center of the litigation are a wide range of claims that cover advertising, the news feed, messaging, social networking and privacy, among others. Here's a key paragraph from the complaint: It reads, "For much of the technology upon which Facebook is based, Yahoo got there first . . ." No dollar amount is specified in the damages portion of the complaint. Presumably Yahoo thinks this IP is worth hundreds of millions if not billions of dol [...]

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You have to wonder whether Yahoo's patent-saber rattling is a sincere effort to enforce its intellectual property or an admission about Yahoo's competitive position relative to Facebook. After several years of turmoil, internal politics and a loss of talent the company is struggling to regain its place in the pantheon of top-tier internet companies. Reuters and the NY Times reported yesterday that Yahoo is now asking Facebook for licensing fees related to "10 or 20 patents." The particular patents aren't identified; however Yahoo owns several thousand, covering things like content and adver [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Facebook: Legal | Legal: Patents | Yahoo: Business Issues