Carnegie Mellon v. Marvell - Settle Patent Infringement Suit for $750M

Today, Carnegie Mellon University and Marvel Technology Group settled a patent infringement suit for $750 million.

Last year the Federal Circuit had vacated a $1.54 billion damage award in favor of Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) based on Marvell Technology Group's  infringement of U.S. Patent No. 6,201,839 and U.S. Patent No. 6,438,180 relating to improved accuracy of reading data from hard disk drives.

For additional details, please see my post: Federal Circuit - Carnegie Mellon University v. Marvell Technology Group - $1.5 Billion Damage Award and Joe Mullin's Marvell agrees to pay record-breaking $750M to university to end patent lawsuit.

Copyright © 2016 Robert Moll. All rights reserved.

Anna Smith - Inter Partes Review -- Parties Favor Settlement Over Board Decisions

Tonight, check out Inter Partes Review -- Parties Favor Settlement Over Board Decisions. Consistent with the article the top block of the first diagram should be: 167 Patents Petitions Terminated.

Copyright © 2014 Robert Moll. All rights reserved.

Apple and Google Settle Patent Infringement Cases

Today, Reuters reports Apple, Google settle smartphone patent litigation. Apple and Google did not agree to cross-licensing any IP so this doesn't preclude other patent infringement cases.

Copyright © 2014 Robert Moll. All rights reserved.

Nokia and RIM Settle All Patent Disputes

Nokia and RIM enter into new patent license agreement.

Not much detail in the press release, but sounds like Nokia owner of 10,000 patent families is the winner. "The financial structure of the agreement includes a one-time payment and on-going payments, all from RIM to Nokia." 

I expect more patent settlements of a global nature in 2013. Companies have gotten over the hurdle of thinking they can use other companies patents without a license and are well aware of the expense of patent litigation.

Copyright © 2012 Robert Moll. All rights reserved.

Intellectual Ventures Settles Memory Chip Patent Infringement Lawsuits with SK Hynix and Elpida Memory

The Wall Street Journal Law Blog reports Intellectual Ventures settled its memory chip patent infringement suits brought  in late 2010 against Korean based SK Hynix and Japanese based Elpida Memory in the ITC and Western district court of Washington.

For details see as follows: Intellectual Venture Reaches Patent Deal with Chip Makers

Copyright © 2012 Robert Moll. All rights reserved.

NTP Settles with Apple, Microsoft, Google, et al.

NTP announced it has reached a settlement with AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile, Apple, HTC, Motorola Mobility, Palm, LG, Samsung, Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo to license eight patents "relating to the delivery of electronic mail over wireless systems."

Ron Epstein who represented NTP mentioned he has been traveling around the world since 2010 to reach this settlement. The settlement terms are confidential.

Some readers may remember NTP settled with RIM maker of the Blackberry for $612.5 million in 2006.

For details, please see NTP to get patent cash from "pretty much" entire cell phone industry - Ars Technica

Copyright © 2012 Robert Moll. All rights reserved.

Facebook and Yahoo Settle Patent Lawsuits

On July 6, Facebook and Yahoo announced a settlement of the patent lawsuits, including a cross-license of patents, no exchange of money, and an expansion of the existing ad and content partnership. It appears the resignations of Yahoo's prior CEO and general counsel, who had advised to file the patent lawsuit right before Facebook's IPO, helped open the door for settlement. Although the settlement was not entirely predictable, the vague news barely moved Facebook's and Yahoo's shares. Here are some of the many articles on the settlement:

Facebook and Yahoo Settle Patent Litigation - Wall Street Journal

Yahoo and Facebook Settle Patent Lawsuits - New York Times (blog)

Yahoo, Facebook have settled patent fight - USA Today

Exclusive: Yahoo and Facebook Strike Patent Peace Deal, Significantly Expanding Ad and Content Partnership - All Things Digital

Yahoo, Facebook strike patent truce, ad alliance - Boston.com

Facebook, Yahoo end patent war with vague collaboration agreement - San Francisco Chronicle (blog)

Developments in patent dispute between Facebook and Yahoo - Washington Post

Facebook, Yahoo settle patent feud, announce new ad partnership - San Jose Mercury News

Yahoo, Facebook drop patent suits, team up on ads - San Francisco Chronicle

Facebook, Yahoo Settle Patent Fight With Advertising Deal - PC Magazine

If you are in a tech company, I suggest reading my related posts:

Yahoo! Threatens to Sue Facebook for Patent Infringement - February 28, 2012

Yahoo! Sues Facebook for Patent Infringement! - March 13, 2012

The Yahoo Patent Offensive - Precipitating Factors? - March 17, 2012

Yahoo v. Facebook Patent Lawsuit - The Pundits Arrive! - March 21, 2012

Facebook Buys 750 IBM Patents - Call to Arms - March 23, 2012

Facebook Countersues Yahoo for Patent infringement - April 3, 2012

Facebook Countersues Yahoo for Patent Infringement - Links to Articles - April 4, 2012

Yahoo Expands Patent Fight with Facebook - April 27, 2012

Yahoo v. FaceBook Patent Lawsuit - Links to Articles - April 28, 2012

AOL Giving Shareholders $1B Cash From Patent Sale - May 17, 2012

Copyright © 2012 Robert Moll. All rights reserved.

Apple v. Samsung - 50+ Patent Disputes & Settlement in SF?

In April 2011, Apple filed a suit accusing Samsung Android smartphones and tablet of copying "the look and feel" of its iPad and iPhone. It sounded a bit strange for the press to refer to copying the "look and feel" since that theory of copyright infringement failed against Microsoft's Windows.

However, Apple's initial suit against Samsung was more than another copyright infringement action. It alleges infringement of seven utility patents, three design patents, three unregistered trade dress and three unregistered trade dress, and six trademarks.Whether or not each legal theory proves to be a winner, Apple and Samsung have filed a total of 50+ lawsuits against each other in ten countries in little more than one year.

Samsung is a valued supplier of hardware components for Apple products. Judge Koh of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, noting the irony of strong business partners pounding each other in court, was able to get the CEOs agreement to meet for court-moderated settlement talks with another judge on May 21-22, 2012.

Given the stakes and range of issues, however, it is difficult to see a settlement on everything. Since Samsung's product sometimes bear a likeness to Apple's products, Apple's response to file another lawsuits also seems unlikely to end soon. So Apple and Samsung continue on "in a marriage" holding each other's hand all the while "punching each other" with their free hand. Still I don't think this marriage will end in divorce. They just need some help on defining the boundaries of the IP!

If you are interested in more details on Apple v. Samsung lawsuits, I suggest the following articles:

List of 50+ Apple-Samsung lawsuits in 10 countries - Florian Mueller of FOSS Patents gives the details of the Apple-Samsung 50+ suits filed in ten countries between April 2011 to April 2012.

Apple v. Samsung: 50 suits, ten countries -- and counting - CNET's Charles Cooper

Apple and Samsung CEOs to meet on May 21 and 22 for settlement talks in San Francisco court - FOSS Patents. Mr. Mueller says Apple's lawsuit in Spain affects the entire European Union, so the disputes extend to 31 countries!

Thanks to Alan Cooper for the CNET article!

Copyright © 2012 Robert Moll. All rights reserved.

Apple's Tim Cook - When will you stop the patent litigation?

I must confess since Steve Jobs passed away, I have intermittently worried about Apple's future. Why? I buy all my computer gear from these guys! And it's no fun to switch vendors. I had to do this before. I had bought a string of Dell notebooks 1996 - 2004 then Michael Dell handed over the reins and things began to flounder, prompting me to investigate and switch my business to Apple. I hope Dell roars back, but for now am not looking to switch again.

Tonight, I read an article in ars technica about CEO's Tim Cook's response to an analyst's question about Apple's patent litigation that made me feel less concerned:

"I've always hated litigation and I continue to hate it," Cook said, but "we just want people to invent their own stuff." Cook went on to say that the company is open to the possibility of settling with the likes of Samsung, Motorola, et al "if we could get to some kind of arrangement where we'd be assured [they are inventing their own products] and get a fair settlement on the stuff that's occurred," but emphasized that such a thing would only happen as long as "Apple does not become the developer for the world."

Somebody handed me a ringing phone in the locker room today, and asked is this your phone? I did a double take: it looked just like my Apple iPhone 4S; it was a competitor's phone. Why do they slavishly copy even the physical appearance of the Apple iPhone?

Having been involved in several major patent litigation cases, I understand someone who says "I've always hated litigation and I continue to hate it." I also cannot blame a CEO who hates litigation but understands in the world it is necessary to avoid free-riding copyists.

Thinking Apple is overly litigious misses that copyists have forced this response and to not support its practice of protecting its inventions with patents undermines the profits allowing Apple to do great things in the future.

Copyright © 2012 Robert Moll. All rights reserved.