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The TUAW Daily Update Podcast for February 27, 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.
Samsung proposes five-year patent lawsuit hiatus to escape EU antitrust warnings
Almost 20 months after the European Commission (EC) formally launched an investigation into its patent licensing practices, Samsung believes it has come up with an answer. Today, the EC published an open call for comments on the Korean manufacturer's proposal relating to the abuse of standard essential mobile patents (SEPs). In that respect, Samsung says it will not seek an injunction against any company, including Apple, wishing to license its patents for a period of five years. The company says it will also agree to a negotiation period of up to 12 months, after which it will rely on a court or arbitrator to draw up an agreement. Google-owned Motorola also found itself in a similar position after the Commission opened an investigation into its anti-competitive practices against Apple and Microsoft in 2012. The EC hopes that by limiting Samsung's ability to impose increased royalty rates, competitors will be able to license its patents and provide consumers with more product choice. Should Samsung be found guilty, it could face a multi-billion dollar fine based on a share of its mobile profits.
Washington court rules Motorola can get millions, not billions, from Microsoft for its patents
Among the many patent cases currently ongoing between Motorola and Microsoft is one in US District Court in the state of Washington concerning standards-essential WiFi and h.264 patents. AllThingsD reports that while Motorola was requesting billions in royalties for the technology it owns, Judge James Robart -- who invalidated a number of its patent claims a few months ago -- ruled it's entitled to around $1.8 million per year. The reason given? There are so many patents that are part of the h.264 standard, that if every patent were licensed at the amount Motorola sought, those fees would be more than the current cost of the Xbox 360. And, Judge Robart found that Motorola hadn't proven its patents were more valuable than those of other companies included in the same pool. All 207 pages of the decision are available beyond the source link if need more info on the hows and whys of today's decision. ATD also has quotes from each company, and while Microsoft called it a good decision for consumers, Motorola chose to acknowledge the decision, but didn't hint at any reaction or future moves.
