patent infringement
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Nike sues Lululemon over its Mirror home gym product and apps
Nike has filed a lawsuit against Lululemon over Mirror, accusing it of patent infringement.
Peloton sues rivals over alleged patent infringement related to on-demand classes
The company claims at least 55 iFit models and more than a dozen Echelon products are in violation.
Sharp sues Vizio over display tech in 70-inch TVs
Sharp, the Japanese electronics company behind the world's largest 8K LCD TV, is suing Vizio and two other companies over alleged patent infringement. Sharp claims that the companies infringed 12 patents related to panel technologies, like liquid crystal displays (LCD). In particular, Sharp says one of Vizio's 70-inch TVs is an offender. Sharp is seeking an injunction, as well as compensation for lost profits and the use of its technology.
Quibi sued over patent infringement for its 'Turnstyle' video feature (updated)
The short-form, mobile video streaming platform Quibi is scheduled to launch on April 6th, but it's already facing a patent infringement dispute. Eko, a New York-based company that creates interactive videos, claims Quibi used patented tech and stolen trade secrets to develop its "Turnstyle" technology, The Wall Street Journal reports.
US opens investigation into Google amid Sonos patent suit
It's been about a month since Sonos sued Google for allegedly violating some of its patents behind syncing wireless speakers, and now the US government is getting involved. The US International Trade Commission today announced that it had voted to investigate whether Google and its parent company Alphabet have imported patent-infringing products into the country. To be clear, this doesn't mean the US government has decided that Google has violated Sonos' patents -- but whether or not those patents were violated should fall under the scope of this investigation.
Court overturns patent ruling that would've cost Nintendo $10 million
After almost seven years, Nintendo has won a patent case that involved the original Wii. On Tuesday, the company announced that a federal court in Dallas ruled in its favor against iLife Technologies, overturning an earlier 2017 decision that would have forced Nintendo to pay out $10.1 million in damages.
HTC stops selling phones in UK while patent dispute rumbles on
HTC has stopped selling phones through its UK website while a patent issue plays out. Its handsets are all listed as out of stock, including the Exodus 1 blockchain phone, though the company is still selling them in other nations. They're also available through Amazon's UK site.
Amazon tries bringing in lawyers for sellers claiming patent infringement
Amazon has been battling counterfeit products and knock-off goods for years. It's tried charging merchants large fees, creating a registry of approved vendors and launching a self-service tool for removing knockoffs. Now, according to The Information, the company is testing a program to help fight utility patent infringements. It's meant to be a cheaper, faster alternative to traditional patent lawsuits, which can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and take years to settle.
Qualcomm, Apple split results of iPhone patent cases
A US trade judge recommended a temporary sales ban on some models of iPhone following a ruling that found Apple infringed upon Qualcomm patents. The judge's decision was not binding and will be reviewed by the International Trade Commission (ITC). The commission also announced today that it rejected a proposed import ban in a separate case between the two companies after finding that Apple did not violate a Qualcomm-held patent.
Jury decides Apple violated three Qualcomm patents in iPhones
Following a two-week trial, a jury has determined that Apple violated three Qualcomm patents in some iPhones. The jury awarded Qualcomm $31 million, the full amount it was seeking, though Apple had won a ruling to limit the potential payout.
BlackBerry goes after Twitter for patent infringement
BlackBerry has accused another social network of infringing on its intellectual properties almost a year after suing Facebook over its messaging patents. The Canadian tech company has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Twitter over six IPs, including push notifications, mobile advertising techniques and the capability to silence notifications for a message thread. In its complaint, BlackBerry accused Twitter of using some of the "functionality enhancing features" that made "BlackBerry's products such a critical and commercial success." By doing so, BlackBerry said Twitter "succeeded in diverting consumers away from [its] products and services."
Lawsuit alleges EA infringed on sports stadium update patent
White Knuckle IP filed a lawsuit late last week against EA, alleging that the publisher infringed on a patent that focuses on methods for updating sports games based on real-life changes. The suit referred to U.S. Pat. No. 8,529,350, which described methods that record real-world parameters, then store those elements on a server so players can download them to update their games. The patent dates back to October 2002. While the patent is related to another one that deals with updating an athlete's statistics and skills based on real-life performance, the lawsuit focuses on changes to the appearance and attributes of stadiums and venues. The lawsuit specifically targets games in EA Sports' NCAA Football and Tiger Woods PGA Tour series, from NCAA Football 10 and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 through the last respective entries, NCAA Football 14 and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14. According to Patent Arcade, White Knuckle "did not identify any specific feature in its complaint." [Image: EA Sports]
Federal court dismisses Wiimote patent case against Nintendo
Nintendo has prevailed in yet another patent lawsuit, this time against Texas company UltimatePointer LLC, regarding a case we first reported on in 2011. UltimatePointer asserted that Nintendo's Wiimote infringed on its patent for an "Easily Deployable Interactive Direct-Pointing System and Presentation Control System and Calibration Method Therefor." In a Seattle federal court, Judge Robert S. Lasnik ruled that the Wiimote does not infringe on UltimatePointer's patent and found that a number of the company's claims were invalid, meaning no trial is required. Nintendo of America Vice President and Deputy General Counsel Richard Medway offered the following statement about the decision: "We are very pleased with these decisions, which confirmed Nintendo's position from the beginning – we do not, nor have we ever, infringed these patents. The result in this case, once again, demonstrates that Nintendo will continue to vigorously defend its innovations against patent lawsuits, even if it must do so in multiple courts and commit significant resources to defend itself. Nintendo continues to support reform efforts to reduce the unnecessary and inefficient burden patent cases like this one place on technology companies in the United States." And now this one gets thrown in the "backlinks about Nintendo patent disputes" pile. Electronics company Philips recently won a dispute in the UK against Nintendo regarding the Wii and Wii U's use of a camera and motion-sensing technology. Nintendo plans to appeal the UK decision, and Philips has filed against Nintendo in the US as well. [Image: Nintendo]
Report: Capcom aims patent infringment suit at Koei Tecmo
Capcom has filed suit against Koei Tecmo alleging that the Dynasty Warriors publisher infringed on key Capcom patents in recent games, according to a Sankei report translated by Siliconera. The patent in question refers to backwards compatible content being transferred from a game to its predecessor. Imagine the Genesis-era Sonic & Knuckles cartridges. If you connect one to a Sonic 2 cartridge, you can play as Knuckles in the older game, despite his first appearance coming well after Sonic 2 hit store shelves. A more recent, topical example would be Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends, a standalone expansion that could be linked with the original Dynasty Warriors 8 to add additional stages and characters to the older musou brawler. Capcom's suit alleges that 50 Koei Tecmo games are in violation of the patent. The Street Fighter publisher is seeking 980 million yen (about $9.4 million) in restitution as well as a temporary ban on sales of several Koei Tecmo games. [Image: Koei Tecmo]
The TUAW Daily Update Podcast for July 25, 2014
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get some the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the player at the top of the page. Be sure that your podcast software is set up to subscribe to the new feed in the iTunes Store here.
Bose files patent infringement lawsuit against Beats over headphone noise cancellation
According to TechCrunch and CNBC, Bose today filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Beats Electronics in the US District Court for the District of Delaware. The complaint, embedded below, accuses Beats of infringing several patents related to noise-cancellation technology used in headphones. Apple is in the process of acquiring Beats Electronics in a $3 billion deal that is expected to close in September of this year. Bose v. Beats Civil Complaint
Apple found not guilty in lawsuit over video streaming
The patent infringement lawsuit began in 2010, when a Israel-based company called Emblaze went after Apple. The patent in question related to real-time broadcasting and Emblaze claimed that Apple was using the technology without a license. Friday, according to Bloomberg News, a jury swiftly rendered a "not guilty" verdict. Emblaze claimed that Apple pushed organizations like Major League Baseball (for MLB At Bat) and ESPN to use Apple streaming technology, which Emblaze claimed to own. The jury found that the preponderance of evidence didn't prove that Apple infringed on the Emblaze patent. Apple attorney Mark Fowler told the jury that Emblaze was an example of a failed company that targeted Apple due to its success. The case was heard in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in San Jose, California. The trial began on July 1.
UK court rules against Nintendo in patent infringement case
A UK court has found Nintendo's reasons for creating devices with both a camera and motion-sensing technology "unconvincing," and has ruled against the house that Mario built in a patent infringement case brought forward by electronics company Philips. The decision impacts the Wii and Wii U consoles, as both systems utilize such technology via Wii Remotes and the Wii U GamePad. "The common general knowledge did not include a device combining a physical motion sensor with a camera and the reasons advanced by Nintendo for putting those two sensors together in one unit are unconvincing," judge Colin Birss wrote in his decision, possibly channeling his inner Ron Burgandy. What this means for fines and damages is currently uncertain, as Nintendo has said that it will appeal. Philips filed against Nintendo in the US last month, seeking damages for Nintendo's "deliberate and willful" patent infringement, as well as a ban on the Wii family of products. [Image: Nintendo]
Report: Tech company files complaint to halt Wii, Wii U sales in US
Philips, the personal care, lighting and healthcare technology company, has filed a complaint for patent infringement against Nintendo, according to a document on Scribd. The complaint alleges Nintendo infringes on Philips' patent '379, "Virtual Body Control Device," with the Wii, Wii Remote Plus Controller, Wii Remote Controller, Wii Nunchuk Controller, Wii MotionPlus, Wii Balance Board, Wii U, Wii U GamePad and Wii Mini. Philips says it sent notice of induced infringement to Nintendo on December 16, 2011, and since then Nintendo has deliberately infringed on its patent: "The December 16, 2011 notice letter provided Nintendo with knowledge of Nintendo's and its users' infringement. Moreover, Nintendo has with specific intent or willful blindness, actively and knowingly induced infringement of the '379 patent." Philips alleges a second instance of patent infringement, this one number '231, "User Interface System Based on Pointing Device." Philips provided notice to Nintendo of patent '231 on the filing date of its complaint, May 14, 2014. Considering Nintendo's infringement has been "deliberate and willful," Philips is seeking damages up to three times the amount inflicted by Nintendo's continued use of these products in the US. Plus, the complaint seeks to prohibit Nintendo from "making, using, selling, offering for sale, and importing within the United States" the Wii family of products. Philips is seeking a trial by jury. [Image: Nintendo]
The TUAW Daily Update Podcast for May 5, 2014
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get some the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the player at the top of the page. The Daily Update has been moved to a new podcast host in the past few days. Current listeners should delete the old podcast subscription and subscribe to the new feed in the iTunes Store here.
