Legal

Apple Sues Samsung Over iDevice Copycatting

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

The smartphone industry is filled with ongoing patent suits. From Nokia and Apple to Microsoft and Motorola, it seems like all the major players in the mobile phone industry are currently in litigation.

Typically the lawsuits seem to be a stretch from patent infringement, but I think Apple's got a real case here. Have you ever noticed that the Samsung's Galaxy line of products look an awful lot like iDevices? Apple thinks so. So much apparently that they filed a trademark infringement suit against Samsung last Friday with a U.S. District Court in North California...

Apple Gets Sued by Parent Over In-App Purchasing

Cody Lee ∙ April 16, 2011

Remember when we told you about the in-app purchasing changes that came with iOS 4.3? Apple removed the 15 minute window of password-free app purchasing in wake of consumer complaints. At the time, several angry parents were asking the FCC for an investigation into Apple's in-app purchasing practices.

Well, it appears that the recent update didn't make the situation blow over, because the complaints have started to materialize. A Pennsylvanian man adds his name to a long list of people in litigation with Apple, filing a lawsuit citing breach of contract and unjust enrichment...

Federal Grand Jury Investigates Information Sharing Processes in iOS Apps

Cody Lee ∙ April 6, 2011

For once, it's not Apple facing litigation, but developers of apps in its popular App Store. BGR reported yesterday that New Jersey Federal Prosecutors are starting to get serious about their investigation with popular smartphone applications. The inquisition is looking to determine whether some app developers are in breach of Federal Law.

The post claims that a criminal investigation is underway by a federal grand jury on certain mobile applications. These apps are suspected of violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act with their methods of collecting and transmitting user's personal data...

Nokia Files Another ITC Complaint Against Apple

Guest Author ∙ March 29, 2011

Just days after an ITC (International Trade Commission) judge dismissed Nokia's claims of patent infringement by Apple, the Espoo, Finland-based cellphone giant has filed a new complaint with the ITC.

ITC Judge James Gildea had made an initial ruling in favor of Apple in which he found that the Cupertino giant is not violating Nokia patents in any of their products.

Today, Nokia filed its second ITC complaint against Apple, claiming that Apple is infringing seven new patents present in virtually all Nokia products. Those patents relate to multitasking, data synchronization, positioning, call quality, and Bluetooth accessories.

Geohot Flees the Country in the Heat of Sony’s Lawsuit [Update: No, He Didn’t Flee]

Sébastien Page ∙ March 23, 2011

I know this is not directly related to anything iPhone but I thought the news was important enough to report here on iDB. According to The Escapist, Geohot fled the country and is currently in South America.

In case you didn't know, Geohot is currently being sued by Sony for jailbreaking the PlayStation 3, and even though he pretends to be confident about the situation, he is clearly feeling the heat coming from the Japanese electronics giant...

Apple Files Lawsuit Against Amazon Over ‘App Store’ Trademark

Guest Author ∙ Updated October 23, 2016

Amazon has had an "appstore" developer portal since January; a place where developers can submit mobile applications for approval and then sell them on Amazon's website.

Bloomberg reports that Apple has filed a lawsuit against Amazon Inc. on March 18th over the “App Store” trademark used in their developer portal...

Microsoft and Apple Still Fighting Over ‘App Store’ Trademark

Alex Heath ∙ March 2, 2011

Microsoft has pointed the finger and claimed that it's unfair for Apple to trademark the phrase "App Store." Microsoft claims that the term is too generic, and that other companies should be able to use the phrase for their own mobile marketplaces.

Apple has had enough of Microsoft's wining, and has retaliated by calling out the generic nature of the term "Windows." Bet you didn't see that coming, Microsoft.

Geohot Asks For Support In Fighting Sony Lawsuit

Alex Heath ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

George Hotz, or "Geohot," is a pioneer in the jailbreak community. He has been the mastermind behind many jailbreak projects, including LimeRa1n and BlackSn0w.

Geohot recently hacked Sony's Playstation 3 and essentially created the ability to "jailbreak" Sony's popular console. Even though it is legal to jailbreak the iPhone, it isn't legal to do the same to a Sony product. Sony took action and filed a lawsuit against Geohot on the basis that what he did "encourages piracy" on their platform.

Needless to say, Geohot is pissed. He is calling on the community and the media to help him in his legal fight against Sony...

Geohot Raps About Sony’s Lawsuit

Sébastien Page ∙ February 12, 2011

If you didn't know yet that Geohot was into hip hop, this one might come as a surprise to you. After being sued by Sony for jailbreaking the PlayStation 3, Geohot decided to respond via a rap video.

This is actually not bad at all. If the wonder kid doesn't make a career out of his hacking skills, I'm sure he'll still be able to make a living off his rapping capacities...

Apple Asks Federal Government to Put an End to Jailbreaking

Guest Author ∙ January 17, 2011

According to NBC, Apple has filed a request to the Federal Government to stop “hackers” from jailbreaking the iPhone.

Even though jailbreaking and unlocking the iPhone had been officially made legal by the government back in July of 2010, Apple has still made an effort to halt jailbreaking. NBC reports Apple has told the U.S Copyrights Office the following:

Microsoft Claims that Apple Can’t Trademark “App Store”, Proceeds to Throw a Legal Hissy Fit

Alex Heath ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

What do you do when your company has 66 billion dollars in revenue from last year? Invest in lots of hot startup companies and acquire more talented employees? No. You hire a highly-paid team of lawyers to file a pathetic motion for trademark denial to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

That's exactly what the giant industry grandfather, Microsoft, has done. Apple has already trademarked the phrase, "There's an app for that." But Microsoft doesn't think that Apple should have the rights to also trademark the term "App Store."

Although it's unclear as to whether Microsoft will win this appeal, it seems that Apple would have a stronger case. After all, the App Store has practically become a household name...

AT&T Makes It Easy For You to Sue AT&T

Sébastien Page ∙ November 16, 2010

That's a text message I didn't really expect! Apparently someone is gathering people who may want to be part of a class action lawsuit against AT&T. The strange thing about this is that it's AT&T themselves who are sending this text message.

After going to the website mentioned in the text message, I learned that the settlement is about AT&T charging improper taxes for internet access through certain services...