patent - News, Features, and Slideshows

News

• Judge in Oracle-Google case gets a lesson in Java

  Lawyers for Oracle and Google gave the judge overseeing their Java patent dispute a tutorial on Wednesday that underscored the complexity of the case between the two companies.

• Nokia files another ITC complaint against Apple in US

  Nokia has filed a new round of complaints against Apple with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) and with a Delaware court, the Finnish phone maker said on Tuesday.

• Trade commission revives Kodak complaint against Apple, RIM

  Apple received good and bad news from the U.S. International Trade Commission on Friday.

• Microsoft sues Barnes & Noble over Android

  Microsoft has filed a patent lawsuit against bookseller Barnes & Noble, accusing the company of running infringing software on its Android-based Nook e-reader.

• Google, Amazon face lawsuits over search

  Software development company MasterObjects sued Amazon and Google this week, charging the companies with infringing on a patent for technology that presents possible complete search terms as users type in a search bar.

• Senate passes patent bill, but kills limits on damages

  The U.S. Senate has passed an overhaul of the U.S. patent system, but has removed some controversial provisions limiting damage awards in infringement lawsuits.

• AU returns fire at Sharp with LCD display patent suits in US

  Taiwan's AU Optronics, one of the biggest LCD screen makers in the world, said Thursday it filed two separate lawsuits in the U.S. against Sharp, alleging the infringement of nine LCD screen-related patents in all.

• US Senate begins debate on patent reform

  The U.S. Senate is debating an overhaul of the nation's patent system this week, but several technology groups have opposed the bill, saying it would hurt innovation and overload the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

• PlayStation 3 consoles seized amid patent dispute

  Sony PlayStation 3 consoles are being seized across Europe as a consequence of an ongoing patent dispute between it and rival LG, the Guardian newspaper has reported.

• Cloud computing and patent trolls: How to prepare now

  Here's the scenario: Your IT team writes a web service, and part of its WSDL interface includes a hash algorithm the team came up with on their own. You publish the API and your business partners use your clever little hash in integrating with across cloud services. Years later, you get a letter from a lawyer from a town in Texas you've never heard of, claiming you've infringed on a patent you never heard of. Your team scrambles to replace that hash algorithm, but that means a change to your API and some of your business partners resist making the change. It doesn't matter though: the infringement has already occurred, and you're going to pay somebody quite a bit of money even if you can prove your innocence.

• Novell shareholders approve sale to Attachmate

  Novell's shareholders have approved the sale of the company to Attachmate for about US$2.2 billion, although the deal depends on Novell getting approval to sell hundreds of patents to a consortium led by Microsoft.

• EU Parliament warned to wait for ruling on patent law

  The European Parliament has been asked to wait for a landmark ruling from the European Court of Justice before voting on a single-patent system for Europe that organizations fear could hurt software companies.

• OSI, FSF want inquiry of Microsoft consortium deal on Novell

  Protesting the secrecy of the deal, the Open Source Initiative and the Free Software Foundation have jointly asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the purchase of more than 800 patents by a Microsoft-led consortium, CTPN Holdings.

• Details emerge of patents Novell is selling to Microsoft

  Additional details have emerged regarding the more than 800 patents Novell is selling to the Microsoft-led consortium CPTN Holdings for US$450 million, about two months after the deal was first announced.

• Microsoft, Apple, Oracle, EMC consortium filing withdrawn

  In a move that will be seen by many as <strong>a sign of open-source advocates' influence</strong>, <strong>a filing in Germany </strong>to create a consortium led by Microsoft to buy Novell patents has been withdrawn.