March 11, 2012 - The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas unveiled a model e-discovery order, adding it as an appendix to the local rules amendments (PDF document) it posted on its website.
The e-discovery model is roughly based on one presented by Judge Randall Rader, Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, last year and is approved for use by judges of the CAFC.
March 9, 2012 - On March 8, the judge presiding over Kodak's bankruptcy proceedings denied Apple's request to file a complaint against Kodak with the International Trade Commission.
March 5, 2012 - PanoMap Technologies LLC, a Florida company, filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Apple and Google in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. PanoMap alleges that its patent, U.S. Patent No. 6,563,529, is infringed by the use of Google Maps' Street View on the iPad and iPhone.
PanoMap's patent relates to "a method and system for indicating the camera position, direction and field of view in a map or panoramic image."
February 28, 2012 - Despite the fact that Yahoo and Facebook teamed up last September to integrate Yahoo News with Facebook - effectively tripling Yahoo News's daily traffic - Yahoo says that Facebook must license 10-20 of its patents or face legal action.
The patents relate to social networking, advertising, chat services and Web site personalization.
February 27, 2012 - Earlier this month, we reported that the Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association (OSGATA) and other groups - adding up to over 300,000 organic farmers - had filed suit against Monsanto Co., asking for court protection from the agriculture giant's aggressive patent enforcement of its genetically-modified seeds.
February 24, 2012 - As a result of Motorola Mobility's patent infringement suit against Apple in a German court, users of MobileMe and iCloud in that country will have to perform an extra step to obtain new messages.
Users of ActiveSync or other push motification mechanisms will not be affected because the companies that provide those services are not part of Motorola's lawsuit.
February 15, 2012 - Apple filed yet another patent infringement lawsuit against Samsung last week, this time requesting a preliminary injunction on the Galaxy Nexus device.
February 6, 2012 - Apple has broadened its patent suit against Samsung in Australia, adding 278 new infringement claims that cover 22 patents and ten devices. The original lawsuit only claimed infringement by the Galaxy Tab 10.1.
Last year, Apple almost prevented Samsung from selling the Galaxy Tab products in Australia when it won an injunction banning their sale.
February 4, 2012 - The Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association (OSGATA) filed suit against Monsanto in March 2011 in an attempt to gain protection for their members from Monsanto's aggressive patent enforcement policy. Now, following oral arguments that took place in late January 2012, they are waiting for a New York judge's decision on whether the case can go forward.