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Apple settles with Immersion over haptic feedback licensing
In 2016, haptic technology company Immersion filed two rounds of lawsuits against Apple. Both alleged that the tech giant had infringed upon some of Immersion's patents with the first focusing on the iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s and 6s Plus as well as Watch, Watch Sport and Watch Edition. The second added the MacBook and MacBook Pro lines to its complaint. Immersion also filed a complaint with the US International Trade Commission (ITC), which launched an investigation into the alleged patent violations a few months later. But the saga may be nearing an end because today, Immersion announced that the two companies have reached a settlement.
Amazon Prime Instant Video inks deal with Miramax, lets you Kill Bill on demand
Amazon's Prime Instant Video has long trailed behind Netflix in terms of catalog size and quality, but today's Miramax licensing deal should give it a much needed competitive boost. All the art house, indie and cult flicks you've likely amassed into a cherished DVD collection -- Trainspotting, Amélie and Pulp Fiction, anyone? --- are now available to stream to any device compatible with Prime Instant Video. So if you've let your Tarantino quotes get rusty, now's the perfect time to brush up. You got that hunny bunny? Yeah, we thought so.
Apple reaches smartphone patent licensing deal, agrees to pay Japanese company $10 million for rights
You can't normally read about IP and the mobile industry without coming across two endlessly warring tech companies -- especially when Apple is involved. But today marks a different sort of patent exchange for Cupertino: a cooperative one. Japan-based Access Corporation, a mobile software provider, has agreed to license its patent portfolio -- acquired from its purchase of PalmSource (yes, that's the company behind Palm OS) -- to Apple, in a deal valued at about 1 billion Yen (roughly $10 million USD). It's not the first deal of this kind for Access' smartphone IP. Back in 2010, Microsoft entered into a similar arrangement that gave it the rights to the same portfolio. The lesson here, kids? Money, it solves everything.
HTC and Apple settle all patent issues, enter 10-year licensing deal
HTC and Apple have just confirmed that they've settled all of their ongoing patent disputes, ending all of their lawsuits and opting into a 10-year licensing agreement. To refresh your memory, this particular saga began back on March 2nd, 2010, when Apple filed lawsuits with the International Trade Commission and US District Court. That initial filing covered 20 patents related to iOS, which it accused HTC of infringing upon, and since then it has only been an ever-expanding battle. Essentially all the juicy details of the settlement between the companies are completely under wraps, but both HTC's CEO, Peter Chou and Apple's man-in-charge, Tim Cook have issued brief words for the official joint statement (the whole of which can be seen after the break): "We are glad to have reached a settlement with HTC," said Tim Cook, CEO of Apple. "We will continue to stay laser focused on product innovation. "HTC is pleased to have resolved its dispute with Apple, so HTC can focus on innovation instead of litigation," said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC. Notably, this settlement applies to all past and future patents for the companies, meaning we shouldn't be witnessing the two fight it out in court for years to come -- at least on the patent front. Hopefully we'll soon begin to see more of the same with other ongoing patent wars -- Apple vs. Samsung, anyone?
Apple strikes licensing deal with Motorola in Germany, heralds more peaceful times?
Motorola's war with Apple has certainly been overshadowed by the showdown with Samsung. But, with the latter melodrama shifting into quiet mode, focus is coming back to the battle with Moto. That ongoing story has taken a rather unexpected turn, however. A filing on Monday revealed that the Google subsidiary has agreed to license some (if not all) of its standards-essential patents to Cupertino... in Germany, at least. When exactly the deal was struck isn't clear, and neither side has announced a royalty rate as of yet. It could be that the German courts will decide what is appropriate according to FRAND rules, but the agreement also includes an admission by Apple that it is liable for past damages relating to these patents. The terms seem to include only "cellular standard-essential" patents, which means the company's claims regarding WiFi and video codecs could still be used as an avenue of attack. But, with at least one set of FRAND patents set aside, we wouldn't be surprised if the rest followed. It may be that Moto has simply decided to pick its fights more carefully, in light Apple's recent legal victory and growing pressure from the European Commission surrounding potential abuse of standards-essential patents. Or, it could be an olive branch and a sign that the patent wars are winding down -- a possibility we'd joyously embrace.
Honeywell next up to get a patent license from Microsoft, goes the Android handheld route
Stop us if you've heard this one before: a company that wants to start using (or keep using) a Google OS strikes a patent licensing deal with Microsoft to avoid the legal barrage that will invariably follow if it says no. It's Honeywell singing the tune this time, and the company has reached an agreement that will let it use Android or Chrome OS on devices like a new edition of the Dolphin 7800 rugged handheld (shown here) without perpetually looking over its shoulder. Neither side is going into the specifics, although Microsoft has steered Honeywell into using its boilerplate copy about royalties trading hands. The truce won't help the prices of Honeywell devices; even so, it's good news for developers and customers who've been part of the company's official Android feedback program. We're still yearning for the day when we can get root access on a Honeywell thermostat.
Rambus planning appeal after losing ITC patent case against LSI and STMicroelectronics
Rambus has lost the ITC dispute it filed with most of the electronics industry back in the day. Only LSI and STMicroelectronics remained as respondents after the company negotiated settlements with Freescale, Broadcom, MediaTek and NVIDIA. In its decision, the court found that some of the patents were unenforceable, while others ceased to be under the "clean hands" doctrine because Rambus had allegedly destroyed relevant documents. Company general counsel, Thomas Lavelle, has said in a statement that its next move might be to make an appeal to the Federal Circuit -- where it's hoping for better luck.
Microsoft beats Motorola in German SMS patent suit, litigation world cup continues
Munich's regional court has ruled that Motorola is infringing one of Microsoft's patents relating to displaying multiple SMS messages. It's one of the sub-cases that's separate to the larger FRAND matters that are raging along in the background, but still has enormous ramifications. Redmond's deputy general counsel, David Howard said that he hoped Motorola would (join over 70 percent of all Android OEMs) license Microsoft's patent portfolio. If Google's latest plaything doesn't start writing cheques, then it's likely to have its handsets banned from Germany, at least in the short term.
Facebook paying Microsoft $550 million for 650 patents, Ballmer clicks 'like'
Microsoft has agreed to sell on around 650 patents to Facebook in a deal worth $550 million. The Haüs of Zuckerberg will stump up the cash in exchange for various social networking patents that were registered by AOL (disclaimer: Engadget's parent company) and sold to Redmond for $1 billion a fortnight ago. Microsoft will hold onto the remaining 275 in its portfolio and cross-license those that it's sold on, but not the 300 patents that AOL licensed but kept hold of. The social network will likely utilize the portfolio to better defend itself from litigation like the lawsuit brought by Yahoo back in March. If you're interested in reading the phrase "protect Facebook's interests over the long term," then head past the break for the official word from the men who invented poking.
HTC partners with Intertrust, buys 20 percent of SyncTV
It's been a while since we've heard the name SyncTV 'round these parts, but perhaps we'll be seeing a bit more of it now that HTC has a stake in the streaming video company. As part of a deal with Intertrust, HTC has purchased 20 percent of its new partner's subsidiary. In addition, the Taiwanese manufacturer has licensed a broad portfolio of patents from the Sunnyvale firm, primarily dealing with DRM. Unfortunately we have no specifics about how HTC plans to leverage its new media property, but hopefully they're working on some fun surprises even as we speak. (Though, most likely, we're just looking at one more piece of manufacturer-installed bloatware.) Check out the brief, and ultimately not very informative, PR after the break.
Turntable.fm inks deals with major music labels, promises 'no traditional advertising'
Turntable.fm may not be as much of a household name as some of the other music streaming services out there, but it's certainly doing its best to catch up. After launching in June and releasing an iPhone app in September, the company has now taken another step toward the big leagues, thanks to a quartet of high profile licensing agreements. As Billboard reports, Turntable.fm has officially inked licensing deals with all four of the major music labels, confirming rumors that had been circulating last week. Founders Billy Chasen and Seth Goldstein made the announcement at SXSW yesterday, during their Turntable.fm panel. Details on the terms remain fuzzy, but both sides are already gushing over each other, with the labels seeing the service as a potential platform for talent, as well as a tool to drive purchases and subscriptions. Chasen, in return, lauded the labels for being cooler than he expected. "We felt that from the get-go the labels were absolutely different from what I'd been led to believe," he explained. "They gave us a lot of time and attention. Compared to their user base, we're a tiny service in the broad scheme of things." It remains to be seen whether Turntable.fm can join the ranks of Spotify and its ilk, but according to Goldstein, the service should stand out in at least one respect. "We're really focused on how we can improve the user experience, and we want to associate these brands as bringing value and talent for our consumers," the co-founder said, adding that the site won't feature any "traditional advertising."
Motorola wants 2.25 percent of Apple sales, in exchange for patent license
New details have emerged about the ongoing Apple-Motorola drama in Germany, courtesy of a court document uncovered by FOSS Patents. The two companies have been engaged in a patent battle of swelling proportion these past few months, with the most recent wrinkle unfolding on Friday, when Apple promptly removed (and returned) its 3G / UMTS-enabled iPads and iPhone 4s from its online German store, in response to a court ruling. At issue in this particular case is a Motorola patent that Apple wants to use under FRAND obligations, but Moto apparently isn't willing to license its technology for free. According to a court filing, the handset maker is asking for 2.25 percent of Apple sales in return for the license, though it remains unclear whether this pertains to sales of all products or, more likely, the 3G-enabled devices under consideration in court. Either way, though, Motorola would stand to see quite a bit of extra revenue, especially considering that Apple's iPhone sales have totaled about $93 billion since 2007. Under Motorola's request, the company would have made about $2.1 billion from these sales alone -- not to mention the payments it'd see from iPad sales, as well. Apple, meanwhile, has filed motions to access Motorola's licensing agreements with Nokia, HTC and other manufacturers, in the hopes of exposing a double standard.
iBooks Author gets new EULA, aims to clear writer's block
We've waxed lyrical about iBooks Author at the technological level, but a good self-publishing platform counts for nothing if authors are put off by its terms and conditions. A particular source of antagonism so far has been the notion that, if an author decides to charge a fee for their iBook, then Apple will claim exclusive distribution rights and prevent them from publishing their work anywhere else. Check out the More Coverage links below and you'll see that a number of writers tore up Apple's licensing agreement and flung it into the proverbial overflowing trash can. Now though, Cupertino has done some re-writing of its own and come up with a new EULA. It clarifies that Apple will only demand exclusive distribution rights over .ibooks files that are created with iBooks Author, rather than the book's content itself. It states that "this restriction will not apply to the content of the work when distributed in [another] form." So, there it is -- writers everywhere can happily go back to tearing up their own work again.
Intel inks licensing agreement with Plessey Semiconductors, gets into the sensor game
Intel signed a licensing agreement with Plessey Semiconductors today, giving it access to the UK chipmaker's array of sensors. Founded in 1957, Plessey produces cell phone radios, motion sensors and a host of other chips. The company also licensed its wireless LAN chipset to Apple back in 1994 and, in 1992, became the first licensee of ARM's architecture. Under the deal, Intel will receive the option to buy a financial security in Plessey at a later date, while Plessey, in turn, will be able to support a limited number of Intel's digital tuner products. It remains to be seen what Intel has in store with its new sensor licenses, but we're certainly looking forward to it.
Intel enters licensing deal with Inside Secure for NFC tech
Intel's NFC aspirations are hardly a secret. The company showed off a Medfield-powered tablet at IDF sporting the tech and it's partnered with MasterCard -- promising to bring PayPass checkouts to Ultrabooks. Now Chipzilla is putting the final pieces of the equation in place by landing a licensing deal with Inside Secure. The company specializes in contactless payment systems and will be lending its Microread, Securead and Open NFC products to Intel for future chips. While it's a safe assumption that we'll be seeing NFC pop up in Ultrabooks, it's also going to be an essential ingredient if the Santa Clara crew ever hopes to make x86 a player in the smartphone scene. We've still got a while to go before near field communication becomes truly ubiquitous, but this is one more step in the right direction. Check out the PR after the break.
Netflix, MGM strike licensing agreement ahead of launch in the UK, Ireland
When Netflix makes its debut in the UK and Ireland next year, it'll do so with MGM Studios by its side. Today, the two companies announced a new licensing agreement that will give Netflix exclusive regional streaming rights to "most first-run feature films from MGM." Included on that list of movies are The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the prequels to Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy and 21 Jump Street, among others -- all of which will be available across multiple platforms within one year of their theatrical release. Netflix will also stream a selection of catalog MGM titles, including Fargo, The Usual Suspects, and (snap) West Side Story. Netflix has yet to announce a launch date more specific than "early 2012," and exact pricing remains a mystery, but we'll be sure to let you know as soon as we hear more. In the meantime, you can find more details and delectable delights in the full PR, after the break.
Samsung, RealD pact for ZScreen passive glasses 3D TVs falls apart
Back at CES, Samsung's business display unit and RealD announced a deal to build passive glasses compatible 3D TVs with sharper resolution than FPR, since the active shutters are built into the screen itself. Turns out, that promise won't be fulfilled. In its Q2 earnings report released yesterday, RealD confirmed that the agreement fell through since Samsung's "initiative to manufacture panels... is not being pursued." RealD did say it's decided to explore "other potential partners," for the ZScreen technology but it has yet to offer any specifics. Equally ambiguous are the factors that led to the Samsung schism, though RealD CEO Michael Lewis told reporters that the Korean manufacturer simply "had a recent management change, reviewed all their projects and decided not to go forward." He added, however, that his company remains "bullish on the technology." Samsung, for its part, has yet to comment on the story.
Amazon, Netflix ink licensing deals with ABC, add new content for you to munch on
It was a pretty busy day for the Disney-ABC Television Group yesterday, as the company announced a new licensing deal with Amazon, while renewing its pre-existing agreement with Netflix. The Amazon deal will allow Amazon Prime members to access all prior seasons of Grey's Anatomy, every episode of Lost, and all previous seasons of The Secret Life of the American Teenager, among other series. Amazon expects to add a total of some 13,000 titles to Prime Instant Video by "early next year," and just in time for the holiday season (as well as the release of the Kindle Fire). The renewal of Netflix's deal, meanwhile, ensures that the company will continue to offer episodes of shows like Private Practice, Brothers and Sisters, and Ugly Betty, as well as new additions, including Switched at Birth, Kick Buttowski and Alias. Basically, though, it's just more of the same. But at a time when Netflix is losing customers in the wake of its price hike and Qwikster debacle, maybe stability isn't such a bad thing. Surf past the break for a pair of dueling PRs.
Microsoft and Quanta ink patent licensing agreement, Android continues to print money for its rival
Microsoft's crossed yet another name off its patent licensing hit list, and this time the big red target lands squarely on Quanta. Under the undisclosed terms of the agreement, Android and Chrome-based devices manufactured by the Taiwanese OEM will be protected by Redmond's vast patent portfolio. Of course, this means MS'll receive royalties for granting access to its treasure trove of related IPs -- of which it has no dearth of at the moment. In other news, Google continues to hope it's all just a case of "opposite day." Official PR in all its vagueness after the break.
Microsoft and Casio enter cross licensing agreement, world wonders if Casio actually makes Linux-based devices
If you happen to be making devices that run on Linux -- of which Android is a subset -- odds are pretty good that you'll be getting a phone call from Redmond at some point. And that's just what happened to Casio, who's joining existing licensees TomTom and Amazon in signing a cross license agreement with Microsoft for patents pertaining to the Tux-approved OS. Covering Linux on "certain Casio devices," the joint statement was equally vague about how many greenbacks exchanged hands, simply stating: "[both] parties acknowledge that Microsoft is being compensated by Casio." There ain't much more to it, but folks looking to humor themselves can do so after the break.
