Android

Samsung sues Apple over Notification Center in Korea

Samsung has reportedly filed a new lawsuit in its home country against Apple regarding its iOS Notification Center. It says that the feature, which Apple introduced last year in iOS 5, infringes on one of its active patents.

Of course, patent lawsuits have become commonplace between the two tech giants in recent years. Typically, however, Samsung has used its standards-essential, hardware-related IP to go after Apple. But this time it's software-related...

Microsoft targets Android’s Google Maps app in German patent lawsuit

Google's pricey $12.5 acquisition of handset maker Motorola Mobility didn't change the dynamics of patent wars as Google hoped it would. Recently, Microsoft and Apple scored a major win in a patent dispute in Germany, forcing Google's Motorola subsidiary to pull all of its Android-based smartphones and tablets from store shelves in the country.

Luck continues to be in short supply at Mountain View, California. Today, the Windows maker has expanded the Motorola patent case to include Google Maps for Android, specifically naming Google as a defendant.

As the public fight between Google and Microsoft gets uglier, Google faces a real possibility of Google Maps becoming unavailable in Germany as early as next spring. Ouch!

Apple wins preliminary sales ban against Motorola devices in Germany

Hot on the heels of their big victory against Samsung here in the United States, Apple's legal team has just won another important decision against Motorola in Munich, German.

The German court has just awarded the Cupertino company a preliminary sales ban against Motorola's phones and tablets in the country, ruling that they infringe on Apple's patents...

Motorola and Apple reach patent licensing agreement in Germany

In addition to its worldwide patent battle with Samsung, Apple has also locked horns with Motorola in courtrooms around the globe. It's a familiar scenario: Apple has accused Motorola of stealing its innovations, and Motorola has used its large collection of wireless patents to fight back.

Motorola has actually won a handful of notable victories in the battle, mostly in Germany, successfully winning bans on products and knocking iCloud email push offline. But it looks like the two sides have called a ceasefire, as they've just reached a major patent license agreement...

Google comments on last week’s Apple vs. Samsung ruling

Just in case you missed out on the excitement last week, the high-profile Apple vs. Samsung trial ended with a bang. After 21 hours of deliberation, the jury ruled in Apple's favor, awarding the company some $1 billion in damages.

Since then, we've heard official statements from both companies. Apple, of course, is thrilled with the outcome, while Samsung says it's a loss for the American consumer. And over the weekend, Google finally commented on the verdict...

Apple involved in 60% of all major mobile patent suits

When Steve Jobs unveiled the original iPhone back in 2007, he commented "and boy have we patented it." The CEO knew that Apple had something special on its hands, and that everyone else was going to try and replicate it.

He was right. Those patents he was referring to have since been involved in hundreds of lawsuits around the globe. In fact, a new report suggests that Apple is actually at the center of 60% of all major mobile litigation...

Judge denies Samsung’s request to lift Galaxy Nexus ban

Just 24 hours after denying Samsung's motion to stay the Galaxy Tab injunction, Judge Lucy Koh has rejected the company's request to lift the ban on the Galaxy Nexus.

As it stands, Samsung will be forced to stop selling both the tablet and handset in the United States, unless the Court of Appeals steps in. But Google has a plan...

Judge rejects Samsung’s motion to stay Galaxy Tab injunction

U.S. District Court Judge Lucy Koh has rejected Samsung's motion to stay the Galaxy Tab ban this evening. Koh handed down the injunction ruling last week, citing "clear patent infringement."

Apple has already posted a $2.6 million bond to push the ban into effect. So as it stands right now, it looks like Samsung will soon have to stop selling its marquee tablet in the United States...

The 11 patents that are getting Android partners in trouble

The Android platform is under attack from a number of companies — not just Apple. Microsoft, for example, has forced several Android partners into licensing agreements due to patent infringements.

And between these settlements, and Apple's recent legal hot streak against Samsung, there's no denying that Google is guilty of illegally copying something from somewhere. But the question is, what?

Apple wins injunction on U.S. sales of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab

Apple's legal team sure has been busy this week. First there was the Motorola patent case. Then there was the letter to the ITC regarding an old HTC case. And now this.

Reports are coming in this evening that Apple has just won a devastating preliminary injunction on the sales of Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 here in the United States...

Apple says HTC lied to Customs, asks for another import ban

Late last year, the International Trade Commission found HTC to be infringing on one of Apple's patents. So the ITC gave the company until April to correct the problem, before enforcing a country-wide import ban on its products.

Long story short, shipments of several HTC devices were held up at U.S. customs last month due to the ruling. And even though it supposedly found a workaround, and the shipments were released, HTC isn't out of the woods just yet...