Patent Roundup: Apple v. Samsung Dominates the Android Lawsuit News

Why the trial overshadowed everything

The writer had skipped the previous week and noted that little else was moving, because the Apple and Samsung case produced a constant stream of detail. Much of what came out was important, and the writer planned to return to it separately.

The other headlines

• HTC and Apple: HTC withdrew more patents from a second ITC case, cutting the number from eight to two.
• Microsoft and Sharp: Sharp agreed to license a Microsoft file system patent for its Android phones. The patent relates to a FAT file system.
• Microsoft and Honeywell: Honeywell became the fifteenth company to sign a Microsoft Android licensing deal, while Motorola still held out.
• Amazon: The company advertised for an intellectual property expert, a sign that firms were preparing for patent fights.
• RIM: RIM avoided a damages payment of 147.2 million dollars in a patent case brought by Mformation, a reminder that Android was not the only target.

The writer’s view of the trial

The writer argued that Microsoft appeared to pursue everyone for licence fees, while Apple chose its targets carefully and aimed at the biggest threat. The writer saw the case as being about how closely one phone resembles another.

Other trial news: Samsung was not allowed to use a film-based prior art argument, Apple was reported to have asked Samsung for up to 30 dollars per Android phone and 40 dollars per tablet in licence fees, and Apple argued that Android was designed to lead companies to imitate the iPhone.

Where this stands now

These items are a snapshot of one week during an earlier phase of the smartphone patent wars. The outcomes of the individual items are not covered here.