Apple Wins Appeal Decision; Samsung Ordered to Pay $120 Million for Copyright Infringement
Here is the latest on the Apple versus Samsung copyright battle:
Overturning an earlier decision, a U.S. appeals court on Friday reinstated a lower-court verdict that Samsung Electronics pay Apple US$120 million for violating three iPhone patents.
In February, a three-member panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington ruled that Samsung did not infringe upon the patents on “quick links,” “slide-to-unlock” and “auto-correct” technologies, and therefore does not need to pay $120 million ordered by a lower court.
Apple appealed that decision, arguing that the panel relied on extra-record evidence “none of which, it said, was of record and that the panel appears to have located only through independent research,” according to court records.
On Friday, a full panel of judges at the same court accepted Apple’s appeal in a 8-3 decision. [Yonhap]
You can read the rest at the link, but for Apple the $120 million is probably enough to pay their lawyer fees considering how long this fight has been going on.
Patents on… quick links? Which are basically just strategically placed links right? Links… which have been around since the first implementation of HTML.
Slide-to-unlock? Or more to the point “slide-to-do-something” which would draw focus to the touch interface no? Why is a narrow aspect of a much broader and more appropriate feature being disputed?
Last but not least auto-correct (what’s with all the damn hyphens?) or more accurately put “the-automation-of-a-thing” which in this case the-thing is nothing new; people have been tasked (or volunteered) to correct another’s spelling/grammar for eons (maybe an exaggeration) so unless infringement claim is based on the theft of Apple’s algorithms saying one can patent auto-correct as a whole is doo doo.
I guess I could go look this junk up but I don’t care enough and will probably just find more infuriating nonsense that backs my suspicion that US patent law is like a overzealous undereducated patrolman who pulls you over and piles on the charges based on some generalized mostly incorrect interpretation of the law. No tears for Samsung on this though as anyone who’s been to Korea knows how much they respect IP at any level.
LOL at the judgement. We now know Apple has the US supreme court in their pockets. If Apple owns html links, slide to unlock phones, and auto spelling correct, then they should also get rid of all smartphones and computers.
How ridiculous is this win by Apple?
Samsung got the double-whammy. They are now telling owners to stop using their replacement Galaxy Note 7 phones due to continuing burning battery problems.
They won’t reveal who their battery supplier is but it’s likely to be a Chinese company. Since these things are custom made to fit specific devices there may not be many alternative suppliers.
Considering the history of defective products coming from China and that there are Chinese companies competing with Samsung in phone sales, I have to wonder if these defects are accidental or intentional.
OK. Taking off my conspiracy theory hat now.
No problems with my 6 Edge. 😎
None with my Active 7 either. Since my penmanship sucks, and I can barely draw stick figures, I didn’t see the point of the stylus and Note Taking capabilities.
The ability to take a beating on the other hand… Mountain Bikes don’t crash themselves! 😛 😆