Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,287
30,350



Last May, Apple filed a motion detailing five patents violated by the Samsung Galaxy S4 and Google's voice activated search assistant Google Now ahead of a second patent infringement lawsuit to take place on March 31, 2014. However, both Apple and Samsung agreed in September 2013 to drop one patent each from the trial, as Judge Lucy Koh ordered both companies to narrow the scope of their ongoing legal battle.

apple_samsung_logos.jpg
Now, FOSS Patents reports that Judge Koh yesterday invalidated a Samsung patent and ruled that Samsung infringed on an Apple patent, leaving the Korean company with only four patents to bring to the upcoming trial. In detail, Judge Koh nullified a Samsung multimedia synchronization patent and stated that Samsung's Android devices infringed on an Apple patent for a "method, system, and graphical user interface for providing word recommendations", also known as autocomplete.

As Florian Mueller of FOSS Patents suggests, the infringed autocomplete patent could also be problematic for Google and Android device manufacturers:
If Samsung infringes this autocomplete patent (which is what Judge Koh concluded), then other Android device makers also have a problem. Google, which may be (possibly in close cooperation with Samsung) involved with an anonymous reexamination request against the word recommendations patent, will clearly be unhappy about this finding by its own home court.
The ruling by Judge Koh is also likely to affect the mediation meeting between Apple CEO Tim Cook and Samsung Electronics CEO Oh-Hyun Kwon scheduled to take place on or before February 19. In addition to the second infringement lawsuit in March, both companies will also partake in a trial centered around Apple's new call for a U.S. ban on Samsung products set for January 30.


Article Link: Judge Invalidates Two Samsung Patent Claims Ahead of Second Patent Lawsuit with Apple
 

Winni

macrumors 68040
Oct 15, 2008
3,207
1,196
Germany.
Lucy Koh is the only judge on the planet who ALWAYS rules in Apple's favor. In all other countries, it's so much more difficult for Apple to defend its (design) patents - and at least half of the time, Apple loses.

Must be great to be an American corporation in an American court.
 

dragicon

macrumors member
Jan 12, 2014
42
154
The fact that this is over something as ridiculous as autocomplete just shows how these patent lawsuits have gotten out of hand. It is amazing that a company can patent something so simple. How apple was able to patent such a thing in the first place is where the real crime is. Hardware and design is a different story than this in my book.
 

Oletros

macrumors 603
Jul 27, 2009
6,002
60
Premià de Mar
Mueller predicting doom and gloom about Googgle? Shocking.

The claim 18 infringed by Samsung:

18. A graphical user interface on a portable electronic device with a keyboard and a touch screen display, comprising: a first area of the touch screen display that displays a current character string being input by a user with the keyboard; and a second area of the touch screen display separate from the first area that displays the current character string or a portion thereof and a suggested replacement character string for the current character string; wherein; the current character string in the first area is replaced with the suggested replacement character string if the user activates a key on the keyboard associated with a delimiter; the current character string in the first area is replaced with the suggested replacement character string if the user performs a gesture on the suggested replacement character string in the second area; and the current character string in the first area is kept if the user performs a gesture in the second area on the current character string or the portion thereof displayed in the second area.


----------

Lucy Koh is the only judge on the planet who ALWAYS rules in Apple's favor.

Wrong
 

Unggoy Murderer

macrumors 65816
Jan 28, 2011
1,141
3,898
Edinburgh, UK
Lucy Koh is the only judge on the planet who ALWAYS rules in Apple's favor. In all other countries, it's so much more difficult for Apple to defend its (design) patents - and at least half of the time, Apple loses.

Must be great to be an American corporation in an American court.

Oh please, even a South Korean judge recently dismissed a Samsung lawsuit against Apple. Samsung are being found out left, right and centre - pull your head out of the clouds and see what's really going on.

MacRumours.com article
 

osx11

macrumors 6502a
Jan 16, 2011
825
0
Do people actually care about this type of news?

I feel like this constant patent lawsuit news as well as the iBooks anti-Trust lawsuit updates are probably not why people come to MacRumors.com
 

djgamble

macrumors 6502a
Oct 25, 2006
988
500
Do people actually care about this type of news?

I feel like this constant patent lawsuit news as well as the iBooks anti-Trust lawsuit updates are probably not why people come to MacRumors.com

Back in the day I came here for rumours. Now everything is leaked and most news stories seem to involve Google in some way.
 

Rogifan

macrumors Penryn
Nov 14, 2011
24,084
31,015
Do people actually care about this type of news?

I feel like this constant patent lawsuit news as well as the iBooks anti-Trust lawsuit updates are probably not why people come to MacRumors.com

There's no news right now so we get this and stories on years old patent filings that just got approved. I'll take it if it means Apple is doing a better job at stopping leaks.
 

kalsta

macrumors 68000
May 17, 2010
1,675
548
Australia
Do people actually care about this type of news?

I feel like this constant patent lawsuit news as well as the iBooks anti-Trust lawsuit updates are probably not why people come to MacRumors.com

Big companies paying big law firms to squabble over big sums of money relating to a bunch of trivial and/or contentious patents. It's an arena for the extreme supporters (and haters) of each company to come out and cheer on their team (or boo the opposition). But I agree with you—boring as hell.
 

unlinked

macrumors 6502a
Jul 12, 2010
698
1,217
Ireland
Does this answer your question?

No since it says

"Similar rulings in the past have gone in Samsung's favour. In August last year the same South Korean court ordered Apple to pay $38,000 (£23,100, $AU42,000) in damages for infringing on wireless technology patents."

and thus obviously fails to meet the criteria of ALWAYS.
 

BvizioN

macrumors 603
Mar 16, 2012
5,701
4,819
Manchester, UK
No since it says

"Similar rulings in the past have gone in Samsung's favour. In August last year the same South Korean court ordered Apple to pay $38,000 (£23,100, $AU42,000) in damages for infringing on wireless technology patents."

and thus obviously fails to meet the criteria of ALWAYS.

So you clearly chosed to ignore the fact that they did actually win in Samsungs home, regardles of similar rulings on the past?
 

unlinked

macrumors 6502a
Jul 12, 2010
698
1,217
Ireland
Apple seems to have been getting some traction with their legal proceedings lately, which is good news for them.

I guess but it is kinda academic unless the fines go up or the court cases speed up. They need to get import bans when the device launches like they did with the HTC One X. The court case just starting is for the SGS3 and the 5 will be out in a couple of months.

----------

So you clearly chosed to ignore the fact that they did actually win in Samsungs home, regardles of similar rulings on the past?

No, I'm just not ignoring that the post you replied to said ALWAYS. If you want to make a free standing comment then do so but if you are replying to a comment then reply to it.
 

Karma*Police

macrumors 68030
Jul 15, 2012
2,505
2,830
Big companies paying big law firms to squabble over big sums of money relating to a bunch of trivial and/or contentious patents. It's an arena for the extreme supporters (and haters) of each company to come out and cheer on their team (or boo the opposition). But I agree with you—boring as hell.

If you're not interested, don't read it and certainly don't comment on it. These websites and publications will stop reporting on things nobody reads.

Also, these legal squabbles have the potential to shape not only the future of these companies, but the products you use as well.

Lastly, Apple and Samsung are widely held stocks, and since these decisions can impact financials and possibly their long-term competitive positions, I'm sure there are a lot of shareholders who take interest in these spats, not just fanboys.
 

Oletros

macrumors 603
Jul 27, 2009
6,002
60
Premià de Mar
So you clearly chosed to ignore the fact that they did actually win in Samsungs home, regardles of similar rulings on the past?

Well, if the OP say that Judge Koh is the only judge that always rules in favour of Apple posting a link from other Judge that has ruled against Samsung doesn't prove anything.

Perhaps is better to post a link to rulings from Judge Koh against Apple, and she has some of them. Funny thing is that when that happens then she is in Samsung pockets or people remembers her ascendancy.
 

keithwoolford

macrumors newbie
Nov 14, 2007
9
2
Lickey, Bromsgrove UK
Sweet

It's all getting a bit crazy.

If the Candy Crush people can copyright the word 'Candy', I'm going for the word 'The'. Any use of this word will need to be authorised by me in future or Judge Judy will be notified. Thank you.
 

Detrius

macrumors 68000
Sep 10, 2008
1,623
19
Apex, NC
The fact that this is over something as ridiculous as autocomplete just shows how these patent lawsuits have gotten out of hand. It is amazing that a company can patent something so simple. How apple was able to patent such a thing in the first place is where the real crime is. Hardware and design is a different story than this in my book.

Especially considering that developer tools have had autocomplete for a very long time. Just because it only gives one option instead of giving many options doesn't mean it's a different concept or method.
 

RedGemini

macrumors newbie
Nov 21, 2013
17
0
Altoona, PA
It's all getting a bit crazy.

If the Candy Crush people can copyright the word 'Candy', I'm going for the word 'The'. Any use of this word will need to be authorised by me in future or Judge Judy will be notified. Thank you.

There's a huge difference between a copyright/trademark and a patent. This case has nothing to do with trademarks.

From your view, the following words should not be copyright/trademark protected:
Apple - People eat apples
Windows - Houses and cars have windows
Android - Google actually used this without permission from Lucas Films - lawsuit completed
Safari - People go on safaris all the time
Aperture - pertains to photography
Mac - an Irish nickname
Rainbow (Rexair, Inc.) - rainbows are part of nature
Camel (RJ Reynolds) - camels are an animal

The list goes on, and on, and on...
 

vmachiel

macrumors 68000
Feb 15, 2011
1,772
1,440
Holland
It's all getting a bit crazy.

If the Candy Crush people can copyright the word 'Candy', I'm going for the word 'The'. Any use of this word will need to be authorised by me in future or Judge Judy will be notified. Thank you.

Wait that happened? Damn.. All parts of the IP system are really broken it seems.
 

whooleytoo

macrumors 604
Aug 2, 2002
6,607
716
Cork, Ireland.
Do people actually care about this type of news?

I feel like this constant patent lawsuit news as well as the iBooks anti-Trust lawsuit updates are probably not why people come to MacRumors.com

Well, I care. As a developer, these patents interest - and scare the hell out of - me.

It seems to me it's getting increasingly difficult to create software or hardware without inadvertently infringing on any of the hundreds of thousands of patents out there. (Not suggesting this is necessarily the case with Samsung). It's a scary minefield out there, with the larger firms using patents to consolidate their position / inconvenience their competition.
 

Terrin

macrumors 6502
Apr 5, 2011
430
1
Lucy Koh is the only judge on the planet who ALWAYS rules in Apple's favor. In all other countries, it's so much more difficult for Apple to defend its (design) patents - and at least half of the time, Apple loses.

Must be great to be an American corporation in an American court.

Right. That is why Apple has had to appeal decisions regarding injunctions made by her that were overturned. Further Apple has been negatively effected by her decision to only allow Apple to sue on a few patents at a time, which ironically was the reason she denied granting Apple an injunction. On top of that she made Apple retry about half the damage award from the first trial and refused to treble the damages when the jury found willful infringement. With her management if the case I am surprised won anything at all.

As far as the design patents go. When the Judge held up an Apple and Samsung tablet side by side, Samsung's lawyer could not tell them apart and identify her clients product. Enough said.
 

osx11

macrumors 6502a
Jan 16, 2011
825
0
There's no news right now so we get this and stories on years old patent filings that just got approved. I'll take it if it means Apple is doing a better job at stopping leaks.

True!

Sometimes it amazes me at hot effectively Apple can keep things quiet.

new Mac Pro: zero leaks
iWatch?: zero leaks

There are no solid rumors on Apple's plans for 2014. They really are keeping things secret.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.