August 2012

International Business Times - "Apple Vs Samsung Lawsuit Will Spawn More Patent Trials; Patents Are New Currency In Knowledge-Based Economy"

GPC's Alexander Poltorak was the patent expert interviewed for an IBTimes.com article about a wide variety of patent-related topics - including the need for a multi-tier patent system and special patent courts, the roles of the Federal Court and International Trade Commission in patent disputes, the existence of patent trolls and the outcome of the Apple/Samsung trial.

CFO.com - "Patently Crazy"

Apple just won a patent battle of historic proportions against Samsung, but does that have any impact on the value of other patents? In a CFO.com blog post, Alexander Poltorak comments on why Apple's victory has little impact on Kodak's ongoing attempt to get the price it needs for its portfolio of digital imaging patents. ("Patently Crazy" CFO.com - August 28, 2012)

New York Times Fights Back Against NPE Patent Lawsuit

Submitted by patentadmin on Tue, 08/28/2012 - 23:53

August 28, 2012 - The New York Times is at the forefront of a group of various types of companies that are fighting the same patent infringement claim. The Times is just one of many companies sued by Helferich Patent Licensing (HPL) for allegedly infringing a patent on sending text messages with Web links to mobile phones.

Law360 - "Apple-Samsung Jurors May Rely On Instinct Instead Of Law"

Leading up to the jury verdict in the Apple-Samsung trial, many IP experts speculated about what the outcome would be and why. Alexander Poltorak correctly surmised that the jurors would be influenced more by which side had the best narrative than by the 109 pages of jury instructions they were given. ("Apple-Samsung Jurors May Rely On Instinct Instead Of Law" Law360.com - August 21, 2012)

The Washington Examiner - "Epic patent trial over iPhone technology wraps up"

As the jury deliberates over whether Samsung's products look similar enough to Apple's to cause brand confusion among consumers, the IP world is abuzz with speculation about what the verdict will be. GPC's Alexander Poltorak weighed in on the debate in a recent article. ("Epic patent trial over iPhone technology wraps up" The Washington Examiner - August 22, 2012)

CNBC - "Analysis: Lululemon patent claim highlights cutthroat yoga world"

In a recent article on CNBC.com, GPC's Alexander Poltorak comments on a different sort of patent infringement lawsuit: a design patent on yoga pants. ("Analysis: Lululemon patent claim highlights cutthroat yoga world" CNBC.com - August 18, 2012)

Article excerpt: Lululemon's filing says some Calvin Klein "Performance" pants infringe patents on its "Astro Pant." Two of the styles singled out were recently listed online at $39.99 and $60.00 before discounts, compared with $98 for the Astro.

Forbes.com - "Apple, Samsung Debate Royalties As Judge In Patent Dispute Pushes Settlement, Urges 'Horse Trading' (Live Blog)"

As Forbes' Connie Gugielmo live-blogged the Apple/Samsung trial, Alexander Poltorak was one of the IP experts she consulted for a blog post - and was also the only expert quoted in the piece who didn't also testify at the trial. ("Apple, Samsung Debate Royalties As Judge In Patent Dispute Pushes Settlement, Urges 'Horse Trading'" Forbes.com Live Blog - August 16, 2012)

MIT Technology Review - "Unsold Patents Hint at a Kodak Comeback Strategy"

Kodak may not have gotten the initial bids it was hoping for in its patent auction, but it's not down for the count. The 132-year-old photography pioneer released a business plan that includes plans for "creating a new company" and "aggressively monetizing" its remaining IP. GPC's Alexander Poltorak and others speculate on what a Kodak comeback will look like.

Mergers & Acquisitions - "IP Assets of Kodak May Be Overvalued"

GPC's Alexander Poltorak was featured in a Q&A session about why the initial bids for Eastman Kodak's widely-publicized patent auction were much lower than the company expected. ("IP Assets of Kodak May Be Overvalued" Mergers & Acquisitions - August 10, 2012)

Article excerpt:
Initial bids for the patents were reportedly between $150 million and $250 million. Why were they so much lower than the expected value of the patents?

SAP Will Pay $306 Million in Damages in Copyright Lawsuit with Oracle

Submitted by patentadmin on Fri, 08/03/2012 - 13:32

August 3, 2012 - SAP agreed to pay $306 million in damages to its competitor Oracle Corp. in order to avoid a new trial over copyright infringement. Under the agreement, which requires court approval to finalize, SAP has also paid Oracle $120 million in legal fees.

In 2010, a jury determined that SAP's now-defunct subsidiary TomorrowNow was liable for copyright infringement for wrongfully downloading millions of Oracle files related to its business management software.