GPC Media Coverage

The European Commission has asked Samsung for information on the enforcement of "standards-essential patents" in an effort to determine whether there are antitrust issues at play in the ongoing patent infringement battle between Samsung and Apple. In a recent article, GPC's Alexander Poltorak explains why this litigation is part and parcel of having patents - and why enforcement is the right of every patent owner.("Europe Weary of Apple, Samsung Patent War", TechNewsWorld.com, November 28, 2011)

GPC's Alexander Poltorak commented on a request from the European Commission for information from Apple and Samsung regarding standards-essential patents in the mobile telephony sector ("EU Asks Tech Giants for Patent Details", Wall Street Journal, November 4, 2011 - subscription required). Standards-essential patents are those which relate to an area of technology crucial to compliance with an industry standard, such as WiFi or 3G.

An International Trade Commission judge ruled that Apple did not infringe four of HTC's patents, and GPC's Alexander Poltorak says the similarity between the laws in the ITC and U.S. federal court mean that the ITC ruling may have a profound impact on the two companies' litigation ("ITC Ruling Pushes HTC Onto Thin Ice in Apple Patent Brawl", TechNewsWorld.com, October 18, 2011).

HTC lost its patent infringement lawsuit against Apple last week when an International Trade Commission judge ruled that Apple did not infringe four of HTC's patents. HTC plans to appeal the ruling, but patent experts - including GPC's Alex Poltorak - predict the ITC ruling will only make it more difficult to prevail against Apple in U.S. Federal court. ("Ouch Android: HTC Bruised, Apple Win AGAIN", ChannelNews.com.au, October 18, 2011)

Eastman Kodak's digital imaging patents could be worth more than the company itself, according to a recent article ("Apple, Google, RIMM: Kodak's Patent Buyers?", TheStreet.com, October 10, 2011).

In the article, GPC's Alexander Poltorak comments on the patents' potential value - and who the most likely buyers may be.

Just over an hour before President Barack Obama was scheduled to deliver a speech on job creation, the Senate passed the House version of the America Invents Act with any amendments.

Eastman Kodak Co.'s planned patent sale is fueling speculation that the company is trying to emulate the success of the Nortel Networks patent auction this past July, when a consortium of bidders bought the Nortel portfolio for $4.5 billion.

However, GPC's Alexander Poltorak and other IP experts are skeptical, because the two scenarios have some major differences ("Kodak Auction: No Copy of Nortel's", September 7, 2011 - subscription required).

Article excerpt:

GPC's Alexander Poltorak was quoted in a major UK newspaper in an article about the significance of the recent "patent warfare in Silicon Valley" to America's economic recovery.

Now that it's a well-known fact that Motorola Mobility's extensive patent portfolio was a big part of the reason for Google's $12.5 billion offer, intellectual property is much more in the spotlight. GPC's Alex Poltorak spoke with the New York Times about how patents are "emerging as a new currency."

("Quest for Patents Brings New Focus in Tech Deals", the New York Times DealBook, August 16, 2011)

The America Invents Act, if and when it becomes law, will impose some major changes on the patent system.