Weekly Android Patent Roundup: Multi-Touch, Royalties and More
Multi-touch ruled generic
After a long fight, Apple was not awarded “multi-touch” as a specific mark. The decision held that the term is too generic.
Carriers step into Apple v. Samsung
T-Mobile stepped in to support Verizon’s effort to stop the Apple v. Samsung dispute. A judge agreed to hear the case and reportedly did not allow Apple to respond. The original author saw it as a possible sign that someone was telling Apple to slow down.
ITC and HTC
The ITC began looking at Apple after HTC filed a potential complaint. Some of the patents involved may have come from Google, which had passed patents to HTC for its own legal battles.
Microsoft royalties from Samsung
Microsoft was reported to collect a royalty of $15 for each Samsung handset sold. The post estimated the company could earn about $444 million a year from Android handsets. These figures are historical and were reported, not confirmed here.
Frequently asked questions
Why was multi-touch not protected?
The term was considered too generic to be awarded to one company.
How much did Microsoft collect from Samsung?
$15 per handset, according to the report at the time.
Are these disputes current?
No. This is a snapshot of one week from an early stage of the patent wars.