Android Patent Wars Update: Apple v. Samsung, HTC and Motorola

FRAND case against Motorola Mobility

A judge cancelled the trial and tossed Apple’s FRAND lawsuit against Google’s Motorola Mobility. The author understood the dispute as Apple offering to pay at most $2 per device while others were asked for up to $30 per device, and could see why the judge would dismiss it.

Jelly Bean added to the Samsung suit

Apple added the Note 10.1 and the Galaxy Nexus Jelly Bean update to its suit. What stood out was that Android 4.1 itself was named. The author felt that a complaint about the operating system should be directed at its developer, and disliked the idea of fighting by proxy through manufacturers.

Apple ordered to pay $368 million

Not related to Android, but referenced often: a patent holding firm won against Apple and was awarded $368 million. The author joked that this was one troll beating another.

Apple and HTC settle

The two companies settled all patent litigation with a 10-year licence agreement. The author saw it as financial at its base, but a welcome end to one front. It also raised questions about whether other Android makers could be sued over shared software, though lawsuits had not been one-sided in the past.

Juror misconduct claims

A judge agreed to consider Samsung’s accusations of juror misconduct in the Apple trial, based on the possibility that a juror’s past involvement in a patent suit was not disclosed. The author doubted the billion-dollar award would ever be paid in full.