Nokia sueing Apple for breach of patent

[DivideBYZero]

http://www.engadget.com/2009/1...infringes-ten-patents/

This should be interesting...

 

[shortylickens]

Knowing what I do about Apple's legal team, I suspect this is a classic case which will be won by the lawyers, not the law.
Regardless, I am happy someone is pooping on Apple. That company almost never does anything original. They take ideas other folks come up with and simply improve upon them. Then they slap on a pretty white case and "look ma! Innovation!!"
Bullshit. From a source idea standpoint they are one of the least innovative companies in the world.

 

[Pliablemoose]

Oooooooohhhhhhh, a big scary lawsuit for $200 million, Apple has something like 36 BILLION in cash reseves, and lawers god is jealous of...

I'm pretty sure this spells the end of Apple as we know it.

Apple should just buy Nokia, and they just might.

 

[her209]

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose
Oooooooohhhhhhh, a big scary lawsuit for $200 million, Apple has something like 36 BILLION in cash reseves, and lawers god is jealous of...

Is that $200 million including damages?

 

[santz]

more info please

 

[corkyg]

Originally posted by: santz more info please

A copy of the filed lawsuit.

Info

 

[pm]

Originally posted by: corkyg

Originally posted by: santz more info please

A copy of the filed lawsuit.

Info

Well, at least they aren't suing in some small county in central Texas. That bit of patent-infringment litigation always irritated me. http://www.technologyreview.co...nications/16280/page1/


I thought the bit in section 44 was interesting.

quoting:

In its offers, made subject to reciprocity, Nokia has defined both a portfolio and an average per patent royalty rate which Apple could have accepted within a reasonable time."

The bit about "made subject to reciprocity" - does that mean that in licensing Nokia's patents, Apple's patents would have been cross-licensed?

 

[DivideBYZero]

The interesting part is that 40 manufacturers have licensed these patents with Apple being pretty much the only one not paying. Nokia have patents on some pretty core GSM tech and you just have to pay to play if you want to be in the GSM arena.

 

[Pliablemoose]

Looks like this will take years to play out, and I'll bet Nokia wants to be able to cross license Apple's multi touch tech.

Here's one of the tightest articles I've found:

cnet

Looks like 200-400 million + 1-2% of iPhone sales in the future, and if they're found guilty of willfully ignoring the patents a 3X multiplier can be applied.

Apple's problems are interesting, attempting to invalidate 10 patents is a little tough, but, I wouldn't be surprised if they try the divide & conquer approach, attempt to invalidate a handful of them, and pay for the others.

 

[DivideBYZero]

AFAIK muti touch isn't owned by Apple. I could be wrong.

 

[Pliablemoose]

http://mashable.com/2009/01/26...le-multi-touch-patent/

Apple can claim to own multitouch, but patents are pretty fluid things.

Funny how Nokia is applying for a multi touch patent of it's own http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/ar...ing_3d_multitouch.html

The good thing about the smart phone arms race is that we all benefit in the long run, thank god those awful Windows Mobile phones of yesteryear are dead...