Apple sends a message to Samsung

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The judicial process involving Apple and Samsung has come to an end, at least until the parties resort. Sure thing that they do. The verdict reached by the jury yesterday afternoon provides that Samsung violated 3 of the 5 patents argued by Apple, for which must pay $119.6 million. A tiny figure if you compare with the $2,200 million demanded by Cupertino. 

Many will say that Apple has won the verdict but they really missed out of receiving every penny of what they asked. If you look at the two contenders will see gigantic companies, both generating the greatest number of benefits in the industry. They have money to bore, does not mind a bunch of million? I think they will not lose sleep.

Personally, I do not understand patents. Nor will go to discuss who copied who or about the nature of software patents and design. What does that strikes me is why this trial. Above all, what Apple wins besides money, denouncing Samsung who also its competitor is a provider of important components.

This is how giants sent errands

"It is not about money, it is about sending a message" - The Joker in The Dark Knight.

In keynote of the original iPhone, Steve Jobs declaring us the paradigm shift saying he was light years ahead of what existed in the market. We saw a few months ago that Samsung was the first to recognize this break and jump on the new concept of smartphone launched by Apple's flagship. This strategy was one of the great plays of the time.

The money is secondary, what matters is that the rest of the industry take good note

Apple appealed that Samsung had copied its designs, patents, devices ... and decided to denounce. To be honest, all without exception large technology companies have been reported in sometime. To prevent others follow the same path of Samsung, the Cupertino went on the offensive, suing Samsung for half the world.

They have won some lawsuits and lost others. In California, Apple won one of the most important condemning Samsung over $900 million. Now, Apple receives $119.6 million. But what Apple wanted was not money but send a message to the rest of the industry, "if we consider that we have copied us, take the consequences":

• Hundreds of lawsuits. 

• Trials worldwide. 

• Meeting the payment of millions in lawyers. 

• Years and years of litigation.

Samsung can meet these expenses, but not all manufacturers are able. Not everyone has that kind of money or have access to the necessary resources. The aim is to use the offensive as a deterrent for others. Add sample to Samsung what might happen to consider that Apple copied.

Apple patents a MacBook touchpad

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As usual, Apple presents ideas and those ideas try signing patents. Then time will tell which of these patents eventually become reality and what not. The patent in question is focused directly to the MacBook keyboard. 

A keyboard with mini-screens on the keys, capable of capturing touch gestures with a small engine and causing a vibration every time you press a key. Now imagine the possibilities we can offer a keyboard with these features, which could lead to each application is assigned a different keyboard. The initial concept of the touch keyboard on the iPhone led our Macs.

We are not talking about a new concept, in fact there is already a similar keyboard on the market called Optimus Maximus Keyboard and costs of $ 1,600. But the Apple patent would cost less, and may even be included in one these MacBooks with lower price than $ 1,600.

The possibility of representing a different keyboard whichever is the open application, able to jump between applications by simply performing, Scroll touch gestures or make sliding your fingers on the arrow keys ... The possibilities are many, only time will tell if it comes into production and see a future generation of MacBooks with this keyboard or stay in the trunk of memories of Apple's patents.

Apple should pay a fine for infringing a design patent with the iPod

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The idea of the "Click Wheel" was already patented in Japan

A Japanese court ordered Apple to pay compensation of 330 million yen (3.2 million dollars) for infringing a patent on the design of the radio button included in his famous iPod music player. 


In a ruling made ​​public today, the high court of intellectual property in Japan states that the U.S. company infringed copyright registered in the country to use the device in a design that had been patented by a Japanese company.

The reason for the new judgment against Apple for this Japanese court is the "Click Wheel", the circular device that combines a sensor with multiple buttons and allows the user to perform various operations, such as playing a song or advance to the next track, a single finger.


Apple used the technology on their iPods sold in Japan since 2004, but a Japanese company had applied to patent a similar design in 1998.

Japanese courts have ruled in favor of the owner of the company, Norihiko Saito, who sued Apple for infringing its patent and requested compensation of 10,000 million yen (about 100 million). 

During the trial, Apple claimed that Pat Saito was not new as it had authorized several similar patents before 1998, as recorded by the Kyodo news agency. 


Apple imposed on compensation has been calculated taking into account its sales volume during the period affecting the litigation.

Apple vs Samsung: Google agrees to protect Samsung against charges of patent infringement

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Google two years ago agreed to cover some of Samsung's potential legal costs as protection against Apple's latest multibillion-dollar patent lawsuit, a rare glimpse into how closely the two companies aligned themselves in the smartphone wars, a federal court jury learned Tuesday.

Apple disclosed emails and letters showing that Google executives agreed to pay some of Samsung's legal costs if it loses its patent fight against Apple. Apple unveiled the evidence to show that Samsung and Google are intertwined. The tactic was meant to undermine Samsung's argument that it has nothing to do with whether Google-based technology integral to its smartphones and tablets violates Apple's patent rights.

Central to Samsung's defense is its argument that Apple should have targeted Google because the patents at issue in the trial are based on Google's technology and its Android operating system, which has run Samsung smartphones and tablets.

But Apple put the previously secret 2012 Google agreements in front of the jury to bolster its position that Google's role is irrelevant because Samsung controls the technology it includes and sells in its own smartphones and tablets.

The evidence surfaced as Apple and Samsung reach the final stage of their epic federal court showdown. The Google indemnity agreements cover two of the five patents Apple has asserted in the trial.

Google representatives could not be reached for comment.

With a few pieces of testimony left to finish Friday, lawyers for the feuding smartphone powers will turn to finalizing a thick packet of instructions for the eight-member jury and head to closing arguments Monday.

On Thursday, Samsung wrapped up its case against Apple, which is accused of violating two of the South Korean tech giant's patents, including one video patent alleged to be involved in the iPhone's FaceTime feature. A Samsung expert told the jury that Apple should pay about $6 million for infringing those patents.

Apple argues that its technology does not infringe any Samsung patents.

Samsung's case against Apple, however, is a sideshow to the four-week trial's main event. Apple has urged the jury to find that Samsung smartphones and tablets violate five software patents in iPhones and iPads, and has asked the jury to award about $2.2 billion in damages.

Samsung disputes infringing those patents, arguing they were for the most part developed by Google as part of its Android operating system. In addition, a Samsung expert has valued the Apple patents at about $38 million, a fraction of the royalties sought by the iPhone maker.

The jury could begin deliberating as soon as Monday afternoon.

Reporting source: Howard Mintz

Apple registered a patent deal that would prevent the mobile while driving

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Managing mobile or GPS when we are driving is one of the many causes that can lead to an accident. With the increase in smartphone and notifications, use while driving has increased, thus increasing the risk of accidents also. Apple knows this problem and just patented a system that would avoid using your phone while driving.

The patent would be based on safety thresholds to be inside a moving car, that is, detect the phone through the GPS we are moving and analyze image obtained by processing with cameras if we are the driver or not. Thus two areas, a safe and other unsafe be identified, as shown in the following image of patent registration.

According to the patent, upon detecting that we are in an unsafe area could be two things: either that the phone will block all use is considered unsafe or that the car emitted signals it inoperable phone while they were driving. These two possibilities are covered by the registration of the patent, so either could be chosen by Apple to implement.

Does this new patent a new feature of iOS related integration CarPlay? Yes and no. Software patents in the U.S. are so abstract that it can be only a record to protect competition or have an idea already developed and implemented.

Still, if this system a reality would be something that would have to take into account both car manufacturers as government of different countries, as they would have to think if it could be a mandatory on all cars to reduce the number accidents due to improper use of mobile phone.