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VIA Technologies Files Patent Lawsuit Against Apple Over iOS Device Processors

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Apr 12, 2001
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Bloomberg reports that Taiwanese company VIA Technologies has filed a patent lawsuit against Apple, alleging infringement by the processors used in Apple's mobile devices.
Via, a semiconductor maker based in Taipei, seeks a jury trial and an order to prohibit Cupertino, California-based Apple from selling products containing the inventions in the U.S., according to a complaint filed yesterday in federal court in Wilmington, Delaware.

"The products at issue generally concern microprocessors included in a variety of electronic products such as certain smartphones, tablet computers, portable media players and other computing devices," Via said in the complaint.
Click to expand...
The patent lawsuit is clearly targeting Apple's custom ARM-based A4 and A5 processors used in its recent iOS devices, as the filings name the following devices as being addressed by the complaint: iPad, iPad 2, iPhone 4, iPhone 4 CDMA, iPod touch 4th generation, and Apple TV 2nd generation.

VIA had previously been part of a joint venture behind S3 Graphics, which won a U.S. International Trade Commission judgment against Apple several months ago in a separate complaint, but sold the company to HTC just days after that victory.

Article Link: VIA Technologies Files Patent Lawsuit Against Apple Over iOS Device Processors
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2011/09/22/via-technologies-files-patent-lawsuit-against-apple-over-ios-device-processors/
Everybody's against apple now.. I wonder who else will against apple.. Hope that iPhone 5 will not be the last iPhone!!
 
Like there would be a patent dispute able to prevent Apple from selling all iOS devices in the US- if such a thing existed it would have happened by now.
 
Funny how just last week the CEO of VIA and his wife, who is the CEO of HTC were shopping at an Apple Store.

Now lawsuit?

LOL:apple:
 
Seems like everyone wants to cash in on Apple's sucess with it being one of the most valuable companies and all, some are so jealous.

Via products are terrible and they should be honoered if people mistake their products for Apple's if its over the processor names or whatever although I thought Via named the CPU's with "C" in them like Via C3 etc.

Whatever it is, people & companies are just try to get as much money as possible out of Apple, its getting kinda stupid now, since everything Apple does 90% of the time everyone else copies.

I remember before the iPad in 2008/09 companies where holding off releasing their tablets until Apple released theirs so the competitors could make a more competitive device and well they all have pretty much failed :L
 
How A-series chips infringe VIA if it is built on ARM licenses? If that is the case, then Nvidia and Broadcom most probably infringe too?
 
zin said:
Surely they should be suing ARM instead, considering this revolves around the processors used in the products?
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Well, Apple did design their own custom processors with the ARM architecture. If this company believes that the infringement comes not from ARM's licensed architecture but from Apple's modifications, then it would make sense. I don't know anything about this company, but I'd suspect there's not much to this case, just someone else jumping on the Sue Apple Bandwagon™.

jW
 
zin said:
Surely they should be suing ARM instead, considering this revolves around the processors used in the products?
Click to expand...
As I read things it's not about the ARM processor - it's the specific modifications that Apple did to make their custom processors.

ETA - to Jump on Mal's point, the A4 and A5 processors are Apple-customized based on ARM architecture.
 
You invent something, someone copies it, you invent something else someone else copies that. Never ending cycle of copying others. Then the lawsuits come, not just from one angle but various angles.

Such a wasteful use of time and resources. (lawsuits). It's destroying everything. Everyone should just be able to copy everyone else, then the best product wins. Also, best price.
 
At least VIA is a real company that actually makes chips. Granted their primary beef is with ARM, but still this may be one of the few suits that has any sort of technical merit.
 
Wow! This is getting a little nuts. There's a new lawsuit almost everyday filed against Apple. Next thing we know there will be a new lawsuit filed based on the glass being used in the iPhone 4. Or maybe I missed that one
 
zin said:
Surely they should be suing ARM instead, considering this revolves around the processors used in the products?
Click to expand...

Apple surrounds the ARM with their own stuff on the same chip, maybe it is with that.
 
Omniblast said:
You invent something, someone copies it, you invent something else someone else copies that. Never ending cycle of copying others. Then the lawsuits come, not just from one angle but various angles.

Such a wasteful use of time and resources. (lawsuits). It's destroying everything. Everyone should just be able to copy everyone else, then the best product wins. Also, best price.
Click to expand...

That's just plain stupid as innovation would stuck - nobody would invest so much money and man-power to invent something new if it can be stolen identically by everyone ... THAT is destroying everything.
 
Should seriously have a "Lawsuit" section, we've had enough stories to justify it.

I come looking for juicy rumors and instead I just get a bitching contest between companies.
 
Everyone wants a piece of the Apple pie, now that Apple's changed the game (several times) and the also-rans are struggling in key markets because they just can't capture consumer interest like Apple can.

Except Apple didn't do it by strong-arming.

They didn't do it by anti-competitive activity that landed them a conviction.

They didn't do it by compulsion, duress, or brute force.

They did it by creating great products, by actually giving a damn about what they put their name to, and by following this guy's vision:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaJp66ArJVI

It's that simple. And the surprising (or not so surprising) thing is, is that the also-rans still haven't figured it out, well over a decade later.
 
*LTD* said:
Everyone wants a piece of the Apple pie, now that Apple's changed the game (several times) and the also-rans are struggling in key markets because they just can't capture consumer interest like Apple can.

Except Apple didn't do it by strong-arming.

They didn't do it by anti-competitive activity that landed them a conviction.

They didn't do it by compulsion, duress, or brute force.

They did it by creating great products, by actually giving a damn about what they put their name to, and by following this guy's vision:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaJp66ArJVI

It's that simple. And the surprising (or not so surprising) thing is, is that the also-rans still haven't figured it out, well over a decade later.
Click to expand...

Everyone has patents on everyone else, Apple has gone on the offensive, probably forcing a dozen companies hands with preemptive lawsuits incase Apple digs up some antique patent them.

Please tell me this, why is it when Apple is suing, they are the Noble Knight in shining Armour, defending their hard worked ideas and inventions. But when someone sues Apple, its the company:

  • Being greedy
  • Doing it because they're scared of Apple
  • Patent Trolling
  • It's must be their only source of income
  • They want a piece of "Apples Pie"

And no, I will not accept "But, but Apple revolutionized xxxxx and yyyyy. This makes them above the law"
 
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