Apple Settles Class Action Lawsuit over Antennagate

Do you remember Antennagate? When the iPhone 4 was first released, there was a lot of concern about the so called "death grip". Most of it was perpetuated by Gizmodo, as they were unhappy after they weren't invited to the iPhone 4 reveal. Of course, they weren't invited because they purchased a stolen iPhone 4 prototype. After getting an iPhone 4, I confirmed that there is a drop in signal if you cover the lower left corner of the phone, but the drop is comparable to other phones. In other words, it's not a big deal.

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Apple Granted Patent that will Hurt Android

Things aren't looking so good for Android. Many of the features of the OS were originally suspected to have been copied from iOS. Android was very different before the release of the first iPhone. Also, Google's Eric Schmidt was a board member at Apple, and had an early look at the iPhone. It has been reported that he then went back to Google to get them working on a touch based version of Android, with plenty of features inspired by the iPhone.
Now that Apple's patents are finally getting approval, they're building up an arsenal to use in legal battles against Android manufacturers, and even Google itself.

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Apple Sues Samsung for Copying Smart Cover Design

Apple's filed for another lawsuit against Samsung. This time, it's for copying the design of the smart cover. When looking at the two products, it's obvious that Samsung blatantly copied Apple's design. Above, you can see that the "Smart Case" from Samsung copies the functionality of the Smart Cover. It even copied the name! Below, the Samsung covers on the left, and the Apple Smart Cover on the right. If you didn't know, the Smart Cover from Apple came long before the "Smart Case" from Samsung.

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ITC Bans HTC Phone Imports due to Patent Infringement

In March of 2010, Steve Jobs said, "We can sit by and watch competitors steal our patented inventions, or we can do something about it. We’ve decided to do something about it". Today, the International Trade Commission finally ruled on a patent case against HTC regarding an Apple patent. As of April 19th of 2012, HTC won't be able to import any phones that violate Apple's patent.

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Samsung Thrown out of French Court

Apple is suing Samsung for the Galaxy line of smartphones and tablets, which have copied off their hardware and software designs. Samsung decided to try to delay the proceedings by countersuing Apple. The French court wasn't too happy about that. They threw the case out, and have made Samsung pay for Apple's legal fees, which come to €100,000 (about $133,900). 

It's good to see at least one court taking a stance against frivolous lawsuits. 

via CultOfMac

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Protect the Internet

A bill is going through congress that could allow anyone, without the consent of a judge, to simply have a site taken down if they believe it infringes on their intellectual property. That means, if I find any site using an image I made, I could have it taken down without notifying them or even getting legal representation. It also allows the government to censor or take down any webpage they find infringing.

It also means a site could be taken down simply for having one of it's users posting a link to content. Streaming sites? Gone. Like Dexter but don't want to get premium cable for a single show? It's prison time for anyone who hosts the latest episode, or even links to it. If someone posts a comment on a page, even this one, that links to infringing content, such as a tv episode, I could have my site taken down if I don't remove the comment quick enough.

Instead of measures like this, media companies should make their content more readily available. Customers would gladly pay more for monthly services like Netflix if they could get all the latest shows and movies on it. I've even said I'd be fine paying $40 per month or more if I could ditch my cable and not have to buy an expensive premium plan just for one show. Besides, I get most of my music from iTunes or streaming through Spotify anyway.

So, you may have notices a popup when you first visited this page. It's a one time thing, and allows you to quickly write a letter to congress saying you're unhappy with this bill. Don't let the RIAA and MPAA control your government, tell your senator that it doesn't matter how much they get in campaign contributions, you won't vote for someone who doesn't represent the public's best interests. The media industry doesn't need measures like this, it needs more innovative ways for us to pay for their content, because honestly, consumers would be more than happy to pay if the content is provided in a convenient way. Take control of your government and say no to internet censorship today. You can learn more, and show your support here.

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Samsung Blatantly Copied Apple

Apple is currently in the process of suing Samsung for copying their designs. It's easy to see why.
Yesterday, Amazon showed that the Android operating system could be used as the basis for a completely unique, great looking, and functional interface. And, because they put the extra effort into it, the OS runs better on their hardware than Android does on their Android using competitors hardware, even though it has lower hardware specs.
There's a lot more evidence below.

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Samsung Galaxy Phones Banned in Europe

A judge in the Netherlands has ruled that Samsung's Galaxy line of phones infringes on Apple's patents, and thusly has banned it from being sold in the Netherlands. Due to agreements within the EU, this effectively bans the phone from sale in all of Europe. The ban will start in mid October.

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ITC Rules that HTC has Violated Apple Patents

The International Trade Commission has ruled that HTC violated two Apple patents. This is bad news for HTC as well as Android device manufacturers that have violated Apple's patents in their products. Apple, tired of seeing it's competitors copy their technology, has filed for a number of lawsuits against a number of mobile device manufacturers, claiming they'd rather imitate than innovate. If more manufacturers are found guilty of patent infringement, they may have to pay Apple royalty fees until they can create suitable replacements of their own.

Innovation drives technology forward, but imitation is cheaper for companies who would rather make money than stand out from their competitors. Hopefully these patent lawsuits will become less common, as companies decide to create unique technology solutions for their customers.
via AppleInsider

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