Wireless Federation

Nokia files another complaint against Apple with ITC (US)

On 03.29.11, In Mobile, By Editor

Nokia has filed a further complaint with the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) claiming that Apple infringes additional Nokia patents in virtually all of its mobile phones, portable music players, tablets and computers.

The seven Nokia patents in the new complaint relate to the areas of multi-tasking operating systems, data synchronization, positioning, call quality and the use of Bluetooth accessories.

In addition to the two ITC complaints, Nokia has filed cases on the same patents and others in Delaware, US and has further cases proceeding in Mannheim, Dusseldorf and the Federal Patent Court in Germany, the UK High Court in London and the District Court of the Hague in the Netherlands, some of which will come to trial in the next few months.

Kodak patent complaint against Apple, RIM rejected

On 01.25.11, In Mobile, By Editor

Eastman Kodak (EK) has announced that the U.S. International Trade Commission has issued an initial determination that the patent claim at issue is invalid and that the patent is not infringed.

According to Kodak, the patent at issue involved a method for previewing images on a digital camera-enabled device. Kodak reported that the patent was recently upheld as valid by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. A final decision in the case is scheduled to be issued by the full commission by May 23.

Kodak also stated that the same patent had been upheld by another judge in an ITC case against LG and Samsung. The company that it expects the commission will ultimately rule that the patent claim at issue is valid and infringed by Apple and RIM.

Kodak had filed the complaint in January 2010. The company also filed patent infringement suits against Apple and RIM in federal court. A number of companies have licensed its imaging patents, including the one in question. Licensees include Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, LG, Sharp and Sony, among others.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: Apple • digital camera • ITC • Kodak • LG • Mobile • RIM • Samsung • Sharp • Sony • U.S. International Trade Commission

ITC fibre project to commence in February (Saudi Arabia)

On 01.14.11, In Mobile, By Editor

Saudi Arabia’s Integrated Telecom Company (ITC) has confirmed that work on its US$1.1 billion fibre-optic network will start in February.

The contract, which was agreed in July 2010, will see Korean Middle East Engineering Co. (KOMEE) expand ITC’s fibre-optic coverage by 10,000km. The launch, which is expected to take four years to complete, will be implemented in four phases.

The first phase of the project will take place in capital city Riyadh, and involve the installation of around 550km worth of additional infrastructure. It is hoped that the first phase of the project will be completed within six months. The new launch is designed to complement the operator’s existing fibre network, which was recently extended to 16,000km.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: Fibre Network • Integrated Telecom Company • ITC • Korean Middle East Engineering Co. (KOMEE) • Mobile • Riyadh • Saudi Arabia

Nokia wins initial round in Apple’s Patent Battle

On 11.04.10, In Mobile, By Editor

Nokia is experiencing good times these days, as on the first hearing of the patent dispute launched by Apple, the International Trade Commission (ITC) said that the evidence shows no violation of Apple’s patents. The comments made by the ITC staff was for in pre-hearing statement delivered to ITC Judge Charles Bullock, although he is not required to follow the ITC recommendations.

According to the ITC staff statement, some of the Apple patents being cited were invalid and others had not been infringed by Nokia. The final decision is not expected until next February.

Apple is looking for a ruling that could ban the import of most Nokia phones into the USA, and is part of a repaying patent battle between the two companies. The conflict started in October 2009, when Nokia accused Apple of violating ten of its patents in its iPhone handsets. The lawsuit was later extended to include other Apple products, including its iPad tablet computer.

Apple later counter-sued, accusing Nokia of infringing some of its patent rights, violating antitrust laws and breach of contract. Nokia’s lawsuit against Apple starts at the end of this month. If Nokia wins its battle, supposedly it could lead to a ban on iPhone imports into Europe.

Apple also recently expanded its ongoing legal action against Nokia by launching a fresh round of legal action in the UK.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: Apple • Europe • iPad tablet • iPhone handsets • ITC • Judge Charles Bullock • Mobile • Nokia • the International Trade Commission • UK • USA

Motorola Sues Apple for Patent violation

On 10.07.10, In Mobile, By Editor

Motorola has sued Apple for allegedly violating 18 patents relating to wireless email, antenna design and other technologies used in the company’s iPhone and iPod touch devices. Motorola filed the complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) and US district courts in Florida and Illinois claims that Motorola engaged in lengthy negotiations with Apple but was forced to file a lawsuit after Apple refused to pay licensing fees for the relevant technologies.

Motorola Mobility has requested that the ITC begin an investigation into Apple’s use of Motorola’s patents and, among other things, issue an Exclusion Order barring Apple’s importation of infringing products, prohibiting further sales of violating products that have already been imported, and halting the marketing, advertising, demonstration and warehousing of inventory for distribution and use of such imported products in the United States.

In the District Court actions, Motorola Mobility has requested that Apple cease using Motorola’s patented technology and provides compensation for Apple’s past infringement.

According to Kirk Dailey, corporate vice president of intellectual property at Motorola Mobility, Motorola has innovated and patented throughout every cycle of the telecommunications industry evolution, from Motorola’s invention of the cell phone to its development of premier smartphone products. The company has extensively licensed the industry-leading intellectual property portfolio, consisting of tens of thousands of patents in the U.S. and worldwide. After Apple’s late entry into the telecommunications market, the company engaged in lengthy negotiations, but Apple has refused to take a license. Motorola had no choice but to file these complaints to halt Apple’s continued infringement. Motorola will continue to take all necessary steps to protect its R&D and intellectual property, which are critical to the company’s business.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: Advertising • antenna design • Apple • demonstration • Florida • Illinois • intellectual property • iPhone • iPod touch • ITC • marketing • Mobile • Motorola • Patent violation • R&D • smartphone • U.S • USA • warehousing • wireless email

Apple takes legal battle against Nokia to UK

On 09.30.10, In Mobile, By Editor

Apple has stretched its continuing legal battle against Nokia over patent claims, by launching legal action in the UK as well as the existing lawsuits in the USA.

Apple has sued Nokia in Britain, extending the two technology giants’ legal battle over patents beyond US borders. According to Nokia spokesman Mark Durrant, the company is investigating the claims, which appear to be based on nine implementation patents already in suit between the two companies in the United States. The two firms have been locked in a legal tussle since last October, when Nokia sued Apple in the United States, arguing the iPhone-maker was getting a free ride on technologies patented by Nokia.

According to Nokia, Apple owed it royalties for using Nokia technology that allows such basic mobile tasks as sending email or downloading applications.

The US trade body ITC is set to decide on some of the claims between the two companies next year, while the key court hearings are scheduled for 2012 in Delaware.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: Apple • Britain • downloading applications • email • iPhone • ITC • legal battle • Mark Durrant • Mobile • Nokia • UK • USA

HTC files patent suit against Apple

On 05.13.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: A patent infringement case has been filed by HTC Corp against Apple Inc besides appealing U.S. International Trade Commission to ban U.S. sales of iPhones, iPads and iPods. HTC is the fourth in the global smartphones market in the first quarter, just behind Apple,

In March, a patent infringement case was filed by Apple against smaller rival HTC and in response of this; HTC has also filed the lawsuit now.

HTC has gained a lot of ground on Apple’s popular iPhone by manufacturing phones based on Google Inc’s Android software. Apple has been accused of infringing five HTC patents and a ban on importation and sale of its popular mobile devices in the United States has been seeked.

Analysts view the exclusion of Google as a defendant in the Apple’s lawsuit against HTC as a proxy for an attack on Google, which also provides software to phone makers including Samsung Electronics and Motorola Inc.

Though the counter reaction to Apple’s case was expected from HTC but its patent portfolio is still under question mark and does not measure up to other smartphone makers, such as Nokia. HTC’s portfolio is not considered to be strong as it got started on this way later than the other players in the market.

With a power to bar the importation of products that infringe on patents, a U.S. trade panel, ITC that investigates patent infringement involving imported goods, has evolved into a popular destination for patent lawsuits.

According to Jason Mackenzie, HTC’s vice president for North America, the company is taking this action against Apple to protect its intellectual property, its industry partners, and most importantly, its customers that use HTC phones and he also added that the industry should be driven by healthy competition and innovation that offer consumers the best, most accessible mobile experiences possible.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: Android Software • Apple • HTC • iPhone • ITC • Mobile • Motorola • Nokia • North America • Samsung • Samsung Electronics

Nokia appeals for the dismissal of Apple’s suit

On 03.15.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Delaware judge who has been overseeing the lawsuits between Apple and Nokia has been asked by the latter to toss Apple’s claims that Nokia is engaging in monopolistic behavior. It has been claimed by Apple that Nokia is demanding unreasonable royalties for wireless patents and it is in a breach of contract.

Nokia on the other hand has alleged that apple’s allegations are designed to divert attention away from free-riding off of Nokia’s intellectual property. Revisionist history, misleading characterizations, unsupported allegations and flawed and contradictory legal theories to turn these fruitless negotiations into a multi-count federal lawsuit are also some other allegations made by Nokia against Apple.

It has also been indicated by Nokia that financial terms regarding some of the patents in question were tried to be sorted out by the two companies but both of them were not able to reach any conclusion. Lawsuits have been filed by both the companies against each other and both of them also appealed to the U.S. International Trade Commission to block the import/export of one another’s handsets until the lawsuits are settled.

According to ITC, it will begin hearing evidence in October 2010, and it hopes to issue a final ruling by June 2011.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: Apple • Delaware • ITC • Nokia • U.S

Apple/Nokia patent dispute to be investigated by ITC

On 02.23.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: An investigation has been launched by the U.S. International Trade Commission into Apple complaints that Nokia has infringed 13 of its patents. The imports of Nokia phones into the USA could be blocked by ITC if the investigation comes down in Apple’s favour.

Apple has claimed in its lawsuit that Nokia chose to “copy the iPhone,” especially its user interface, to make up for its declining share of the high-end phone market. Earlier, Nokia had filed a lawsuit against Apple claiming that Apple infringes on 10 of its patents.

Six administrative law judges (ALJ) will be assigned the case which will make an initial determination as to whether there is a violation of section 337; that initial determination is subject to review by the Commission.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: ALJ • Apple • Complaints • iPhone • ITC • Launch • Nokia • North America • Patent • USA

Kodak claim against RIM, Apple to be probed by US agency

On 02.18.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: After receiving a complaint from Eastman Kodak Co, an investigation has been launched by the International Trade Commission in to the smartphones containing digital cameras manufactured by Apple and RIM.

A patent infringement suit was filed by Kodak with the ITC on January 14 against Canada’s Research In Motion Ltd, maker of BlackBerry smartphones, and Apple Inc, maker of the iPhone.

Kodak has demanded for compensation and at the same time it has expressed its willingness to talk with Apple and RIM. It has also asked ITC to prevent Apple and RIM from importing infringing devices, including certain mobile telephones and wireless communication devices featuring digital cameras.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: Apple • Blackberry • Canada • infringement • iPhone • ITC • Kodak • Launch • North America • Patent • Research in Motion • RIM • U.S