September 2012

Trademark Woes for Apple

Submitted by patentadmin on Fri, 09/28/2012 - 13:35

We hate to seem repetitious, but we hereby present yet another blog post about Apple. What other company provides such a wealth of blog topics from its lawsuits in all areas of intellectual property?

While Apple celebrates its success in its lawsuit against Samsung and attempts to secure a permanent injunction on as many of its competitors' products as possible, the steady stream of lawsuits filed against Apple continues unabated. And in an ironic twist for the computer company known for its iconic designs, some of Apple's legal woes have to do with design patents and trademarks.

Samsung Sued by LG for OLED Patent Infringement

Submitted by patentadmin on Thu, 09/27/2012 - 14:55

September 27, 2012 - Fresh from its defeat by Apple, Samsung faces a patent lawsuit from LG over seven patents on organic light-emitting diodes, or OLEDs.

OLED technology is used in the screens of mobile phones and tablet PCs because it is lighter, brighter and thinner than LCD screens. LG claims that five of Samsung's products infringe the patents, including the Galaxy Tab 7.7, the Galaxy S3 phone and the Galaxy Note "phablet."

Rochester Democrat and Chronicle - "After 6 weeks of trying, Kodak may abandon effort to sell patents"

The Democrat and Chronicle of Rochester, New York reported on the ongoing efforts of Eastman Kodak to stay afloat. With its patent auction plans in tatters, the Rochester-based corporate icon is rumored to be moving toward cutting jobs, selling parts of the business, and decreasing benefit payments to Kodak retirees. Alexander Poltorak discusses the difficulties Kodak faces in making money from the very patents the company had assumed were a sure thing.

Bloomberg.com - "Kodak Consulting With Creditors About Retaining Patents"

Now that it's obvious that Kodak's patent portfolio won't sell for anywhere near the $2 billion at which Kodak valued them, GPC's Alexander Poltorak spoke about the Kodak patent auction, what went wrong and how the company could (and should) monetize the patents. ("Kodak Consulting With Creditors About Retaining Patents" Bloomberg.com - September 14, 2012)

Of Music, Art, Trademarks and a 45-Year-Old Banana

Submitted by patentadmin on Wed, 09/12/2012 - 12:52

It may be spotty and four decades old, but the iconic banana image Andy Warhol designed for the Velvet Underground's debut album in 1967 is at the center of a very modern copyright and trademark battle.

Although the Velvet Underground disbanded in 1972, their music lives on among hipsters, college kids and anyone who appreciates Andy Warhol's art. The Velvet Underground were part of the same scene as Warhol, perhaps inextricably so because he was also the band's manager and producer, and that's where the legal complications begin in our current case.

Facebook, Amazon and LinkedIn Sued for Infringing Ad Targeting Patent

Submitted by patentadmin on Wed, 09/12/2012 - 12:15

September 12, 2012 - A Memphis-based company called B.E. Technology LLC sued Facebook and LinkedIn for infringing U.S. Patent No. 6,628,314 by delivering targeted ads according to demographics. The plaintiff sued Amazon for infringing a different patent, No. 6,771,290, by serving up ads in Kindle devices "in a personalized manner."

The Sincerest Form of Flattery

Submitted by patentadmin on Tue, 09/04/2012 - 15:27

On the heels of Apple's win over Samsung, some in the tech industry have pointed out that Apple has been known to copy electronics designs that its designers found aesthetically pleasing. Not only have they mentioned it, they've also created a photo essay of the similarities between Apple products and Braun radios and speakers from the 1950s and 1960s.

Bloomberg.com - "Verdict Shows Samsung Needs to Copy Apple Design Culture: Tech"

Now that there has been a verdict in the Apple/Samsung patent lawsuit, what does the future hold for Samsung's smartphone and tablet designs? GPC's Alexander Poltorak commented on what stylistic changes the Korean electronics giant could (and should) make going forward. ("Verdict Shows Samsung Needs to Copy Apple Design Culture: Tech" Bloomberg.com - September 4, 2012)