Samsung loses another patent case against Apple

Two down, one to goMobile phones News By Kate Solomon 17 hours ago | Tell us what you think [ 2 comments ]

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It's not going too well for Samsung over in the German courts, where the second of three patent suits it brought against Apple has been rejected.

The blow comes just a week after the courts kicked its first patent complaint to the kerb, with both complaints relating to the 3G UMTS wireless telecommunications standard.

The ruling may have come as a bit of a surprise to Samsung, as IP expert Florian Mueller notes that this second case looked fairly promising at the relevant hearings back in November 2011.

Portents

The hearing to decide the fate of the third patent is set for 2 March, so Samsung has a bit of time to pick itself back up and brush itself off before it heads back to court.

As well as technical shenanigans like 3G standards, Samsung is also suing Apple over a patent relating to how one enters smileys on a mobile device.

You know, the really important stuff.

From Reuters

Tags: Samsung, Apple, patents, 3GTweetreddit!StumbleuponComment on this article  Your comments (2) Click to add a new commentbradavon

12 hours ago

2. Whilst at the same time the Galaxy S2's sales are soaring. Consumers certainly don't care.

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j_h__

16 hours ago

1. The only winners in these patent disputes are the lawyers making millions

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Samsung gets Oz boost in Apple patent fight

Apple's bid to keep the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 banned from sale in Australia has failed, with a ruling from the Federal Court meaning that the tablet will go back on shelves.

Apple had managed to win an injunction against the sale of the Tab 10.1 over patents, Samsung's appeal was then granted but the Californian company asked for, and received, a stay to seek its own appeal, meaning the injunction stayed in place.

However, the Federal Court has now ruled that Samsung can sell the product in Australia, at least until the case hits the patent courts next year.

Records

According to The Register, Samsung must keep records of sales of the device and apps ahead of that hearing.

The upshot is that consumers in Australia will be able to buy Samsung's tablet from Monday 12 December.

The ongoing legal wranglings over patents have shown no sign of letting up – with Samsung being challenged across the world by Apple over the look and feel of its tablet, which the latter feels infringes on its own iPad.

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Motorola wins German patent case against Apple

Motorola could ban Apple iPhones and iPads from sale in Germany after winning a court case in the country.

Apple's iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPad 3G and iPad 2 3G are all using the tech that the courts have ruled infringes on Motorola's patents and Motorola may enforce a sales injunction in Germany as a result - unless Apple coughs up £85.3 million.

The iPhone 4S was released after the case began in April 2011, but could fall under the same injunction if it uses the same infringing technology, according to patent lawsuit expert Foss Patents.

Pesky EP 1010336

So what's got Motorola all het up? It's European Patent 1010336, of course, which is a "method for performing a countdown function during a mobile-originated transfer for a packet radio system".

Apple could modify the iPhone and iPad products to appease Motorola and stop infringing on the patent, just as Samsung did with its Galaxy Tab 10.1 after Apple brought a sales ban against it in the Netherlands.

It seems more likely that Apple will appeal the ruling, however, and perhaps even try to stake a claim on the patent itself.

This patent situation never, ever gets dull, does it?

Apple files patent to build speaker into iPod nano

Apple has filed a patent that details how it could insert a speaker into the iPod nano and iPod Shuffle.

The patent retains the two iPods' existing clip-on design, but adds a little speaker into the back bit of the clip.

Although the patent doesn't specifically name check either iPod, it does feature technical drawings that look mighty similar to both diminutive MP3 players.

Banano

The speaker wouldn't necessarily be up to much – it is so small that it couldn't offer much in the way of quality playback (although some folk on the bus are quite content with incredibly tinny drum'n'bass so you never know).

But perhaps it would come in handy for accessibility for the partially-sighted, or for audible feedback when using the tiny iPod nano touchscreen.

Another possibility is that Apple is considering shoe-horning Siri into every possible device, although we can't see the humble iPod nano or Shuffle being able to provide the kind of grunt the assistant app would need.

But Apple files patents for hundreds of bits and pieces of tech that never come to pass, so we're not banking on a be-speakered iPod nano coming to light any time soon.