January 2012

Apple Claims Disputed Kodak Patent(s) May Rightfully Be Apple's

Submitted by patentadmin on Thu, 01/26/2012 - 14:06

January 26, 2012 - As Kodak attempts to use its valuable patents as collateral in securing financing, Apple is attempting to block those efforts by claiming that at least one of those patents was wrongfully obtained and actually belongs to Apple (and is at the center of an unresolved patent ownership dispute).

Whose Name Is It, Anyway?

Submitted by patentadmin on Thu, 01/26/2012 - 12:11

Jill and Burt Kohler opened a cosmetology school in Scottsdale, Arizona...and a whole can of worms along with it.

The Kohlers were sued for trademark infringement by the Kohler Company. Kohler (the company) is probably best known for their faucets, toilets, bathtubs and other plumbing-related items, but holds over 30 trademarks that also include spa and salon services, as well as "guitars, pianos, candy, candles and horse breeding and stud services."

TheStreet.com - "Kodak's Bankruptcy Plan Slugged by InterDigital Sale Failure"

In a previous interview with TheStreet.com, Alexander Poltorak compared the Kodak patent auction to similar companies - among them, InterDigital. Now that InterDigital has cancelled the sale of its patent portfolio, Dr. Poltorak and other IP experts are speculating how successful (if at all) Kodak will be in selling its patents, litigating its various patent infringement lawsuits and surviving its cash crisis.

Kodak Files for Bankruptcy

Submitted by patentadmin on Thu, 01/19/2012 - 20:20

January 19, 2012 - As part of its ongoing struggle to avoid going out of business, Kodak has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. This move will allow Kodak to restructure its debt while it fights patent battles in several different lawsuits.

At the same time, Kodak has also secured a $950 million line of credit from Citigroup that it will use to "enhance liquidity and working capital."

ITC Judge Hands Motorola Victory over Apple

Submitted by patentadmin on Mon, 01/16/2012 - 22:03

January 16, 2012 - An administrative law judge at the International Trade Commission ruled that Motorola Mobility does not violate any of the three patents it was accused of infringing in the lawsuit Apple filed in October 2010.

The decision is only an initial ruling, however, which will be reviewed by a six-member ITC panel in March. That panel will deliver the ITC's final ruling.

Activision Sued Over Social Networking Features on Its Website

Submitted by patentadmin on Fri, 01/13/2012 - 13:51

January 13, 2012 - A company called Paqits LLC has sued Activision Blizzard Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas for patent infringement. Paqits alleges that certain social networking features on Activision's website infringe its patent, U.S. Patent No. 7,010,599.

The patent was issued in 2006, and Paqits is the assignee. The case is Paqits, LLC v. Activision Blizzard, Inc.

Kodak Files Patent Infringement Lawsuit Against Apple and HTC

Submitted by patentadmin on Thu, 01/12/2012 - 14:49

January 12, 2012 - On January 10, Kodak filed suit against Apple and HTC in U.S. District Court in New York, alleging infringement of four patents that cover aspects of sending photos directly from smartphones and other mobile devices. Kodak claims the technology is used in the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

Kodak has already licensed some smartphone makers, including LG, Motorola, Nokia and Samsung, and plans to pursue legal action against Research in Motion for infringement of the same patents.

Apple Settles Patent Infringement Lawsuit with Elan for $5 Million

Submitted by patentadmin on Mon, 01/09/2012 - 14:15

January 9, 2012 - Apple settled a patent infringement lawsuit with Elan Microelectronics, a Taiwanese company, for $5 million.

Elan sued Apple in 2009, claiming that its patents on touch-based technologies were infringed by the iPhone, iPod Touch and MacBook, and requested that the International Trade Commission (ITC) ban imports of the potentially infringing Apple products.

Patent Infringement Lawsuits Filed Against Samsung, Motorola and LG

Submitted by patentadmin on Fri, 01/06/2012 - 13:33

January 6, 2012 - St. Clair Intellectual Property Consultants Inc. filed patent infringement lawsuits against Samsung Electronics USA Inc., Motorola Mobility Inc. and LG Electronics Ltd. St. Clair claims that the three companies' smartphones and tablet PCs infringe six patents, most of which relate to computer power management.

General Patent Corporation Secures Settlement with U.S. Government in Patent Lawsuit in the Court of Claims

Federal Government Takes a License under Leighton Technologies' "Contactless Cards" Patents

Suffern, N.Y., January 5, 2012 − General Patent Corporation (GPC), a leading patent licensing and enforcement firm, announced today on behalf of its subsidiary, Leighton Technologies LLC (Leighton), that it reached a settlement with the U.S. government in a lawsuit in the Court of Claims over unlicensed use of Leighton's portfolio of six "Contactless Cards" and related patents.

Hulu Hit with Patent Infringement Lawsuit Over Online Video Streaming

Submitted by patentadmin on Wed, 01/04/2012 - 21:53

January 4, 2012 - Hulu LLC, which delivers streaming video content on demand, has been sued by a company called Intertainer Inc. for infringement of a patent on online video streaming.

The patent, U.S. Patent Number 7,870,592, relates to a method of creating an interactive streaming video that allows users to view outside content such as advertisements before resuming the video at the point at which the user stopped watching. Hulu had argued that it doesn't make its viewers watch ads in an infringing manner.

Blogger's Job Change Causes a "Lode" of Trademark Problems

Submitted by patentadmin on Wed, 01/04/2012 - 11:22

Writer Lisa Belkin used to pen a blog on parenting issues for the New York Times called "Motherlode." When she left the NYT to work for the Huffington Post, the "Motherlode" blog continued but with guest bloggers. Belkin, meanwhile, continued blogging in much the same vein for HuffPo but named her blog there "Parentlode."

False Marking Claims Becoming Harder to Prove, Even for Competitors

Submitted by patentadmin on Tue, 01/03/2012 - 22:36

January 3, 2012 - On December 13, a judge in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles granted summary judgment in a case involving a claim of false marking. What made this case newsworthy is that the plaintiff in the case (U.S. Rubber Recycling Inc.) actually is a competitor of the defendant (Ecore International Inc.).