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Nokia Seeks More Leverage In the Forever Mobile Patent War

Posted by timothy on from the gonna-live-forever dept.

ericjones12398 writes "Struggling cell phone manufacturer Nokia launched a recent attack in both German and U.S. courts, filing lawsuits against HTC, RIM, and ViewSonic, alleging a laundry list of infringements on 45 patents pertaining to mobile software and hardware. Nokia also filed a meaty complaint against HTC at the International Trade Commission in Washington requesting select mobile devices be banned from sale in the U.S. According to Louise Pentland, Nokia's chief legal officer, 'Nokia had to file these actions to end the unauthorized use of our proprietary innovations and technologies, which have not been widely licensed.' Chief among the ITC complaint was patent 5,570,369, a power saver designed for the GSM system and based on TDMA technology. Although, on the surface, '369 appears to have been tossed in the recycle bin with other 2G relics, the 1996 patent helps serve as a warning shot to competitors recycling Nokia's technology. At the same time it reveals a possible ulterior motive to stop Google's momentum. HTC seems to be straight in the crosshairs of Nokia's legal assault, with three relevant – and curious — phones singled out in the ITC complaint. HTC's Sensation 4G, Amaze 4G and Inspire 4G are all driven by Android. While similar phones based on the Windows Phone platform were missing from Nokia's accusations."

19 of 70 comments (clear)

  1. Sad... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2

    Another failing company handed over to it's lawyers

    1. Re:Sad... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

      You want to know the real reason Nokia is failing? Because they jumped off the dock when the SS Windows Phone was just poise to sink anyway. Windows Phone is a pile of shit. Here's why:

      OS LIMITATIONS

      1. No true multitasking for 3rd party apps - they re frozen in the background.

      2. No Divx/Xvid video codec support. Zune will convert with loss of quality.

      3. No mass storage mode.

      4. No micro-SD card support.

      5. Only support up to 16GB storage .

      6. No filemanager. Directory system is totally opaque.

      7. Need Zune to transfer files. Zune will only transfer photos, videos & music. All other files need to email/upload to yourself.

      8. Your contact details are automatically uploaded to cloud service whether you like it or not.

      9. Limited to 800x480 resolution.

      10. Voice search is hardwired to Bing.

      11. Cannot use any MP3 file as ringtone except those with strict constraints.

      12. Cannot set static IP address so no connection to ad-hoc networks.

      13. No VPN support for this âoecorporate enterpriseâ phone.

      14. Cannot sync directly with Outlook without syncing to Cloud

      15. Totally closed OS, cannot sideload apps outside MS Marketplace.

      16. System font size cannot be changed.

      17. Images and photos cannot be renamed in the phone.

      18. Windows Live ID account cannot change country once set.

      19. No centralized notification page.

      20. Alarm clock cannot work when phone is turned off. All Nokia Symbian and Meego phones can do this.

      21. The idle screen is completely blank and cannot display time or notifications.

      22. Only photos allowed as email attachments, documents not allowed.

      23. No way to stream audio to the majority of car audio systems as the most common Bluetooth rSAP profile is not implemented.

      24. Cannot stream audio from video playback to Bluetooth devices as A2DP profile is not implemented.

      25. No support for full on-device encryption required for secure applications like mobile banking and online payment.

      26. Cannot use Bluetooth keyboard (no HID profile)

      27. Cannot silence ringtone or alarm by flipping the phone.

      28. Very limited customization option.

      29. Cannot be upgraded to WP8 (Apollo)

      USABILITY ISSUES

      30. No always visible status bar for battery life, signal strength, carrier ID, 2G/3G wi-fi, Bluetooth on.

      31. Taskmanager has no option to shut down apps you donâ(TM)t want running in the background.

      32. Search and Back button cannot be de-activated in apps or games and easily touched by accident which interrupt your user experience.

      33. Lockscreen need to be activated to show missed call/sms notification.

      34. No way to close an app except pressing back button all the way to the first screen.

      35. Tiny fonts in messages is very hard to read for those over 45.

      36. Cannot create and save playlists on the phone.

      37. Playlist can only be edited when you are playing it.

      38. Cannot search your music collection on the phone, only in the Marketplace.

      39. Cannot close music player, can only pause. Music player on lockscreen will stay until you reboot. Be careful not to touch it in a meeting.

      40. No draggable progress bar for current track playing and no indication which track in an album is currently playing

      41. Cannot lock screen orientation.

      42. Online and phone contacts are mixed together with no ability to filter.

      43. Search button in dialer does not search contacts for dialing, but search call history.

      44. Cannot save draft sms messages.

      45. Call history only show phone number type. If a contact has multiple phone nos. for a type the number used is unknown.

      46. Cannot recognize phone numbers in sms or email to save or use as calling number.

      47. Text messages can only be deleted

    2. Re:Sad... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      ...But Nokia's phones are fine. In fact, that new Lumia phone is pretty awesome. I used one for a few minutes and it makes my phone look junky.

      This comment was brought to you courtesy Waggener Edstrom, a Microsoft marketing partner.

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    3. Re:Sad... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      So f***ing true.
      The n9 is STILL a better phone.

  2. Missing Story by busyqth · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I was just going to post on the story "Single Day Exploits Largest Customer: U.S. Government", posted by timothy, and suddenly it wasn't there anymore.

  3. Patent Attacks by TaoPhoenix · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "Has Been" launched a patent attack against "who" "Who" and "Who".

    I don't trust anything Nokia does anymore now that Elop is there.

    --
    My first Journal Entry ever, in 8 years! http://slashdot.org/journal/365947/aphelion-scifi-fantasy-horror-poetry-webzine
    1. Re:Patent Attacks by Urkki · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Too bad Nokia's products suck so bad that they don't have any customers left to "pay up".

      Latest incarnation of Symbian did definitely not suck (and they're still available and supported). N9 is one of a kind, the only current real phone which can use "Linux software" as it is commonly understood. Lumia line... well... it's not Nokia's fault MS still can't make a mobile OS, even when they have tried for so many years. Despite this, they're pretty ok actually, having used one for a few months.

      But the future of Nokia, as well as future of MS mobile ambitions, lies in WP8. If they manage to fix even half of the WP7's problems, it'll make great phones, even if it's "MS inside".

    2. Re:Patent Attacks by drkstr1 · · Score: 2

      Again with pro WP7 AC. For the love of god, can we hear one good thing about WP7 that is not from an AC? It's almost comical at this point.

      --
      Fanboy Status: Apache Flex, C#, Eclipse, KDE, Pirate Party, Ron Paul, Slackware, Windows 7
    3. Re:Patent Attacks by ozmanjusri · · Score: 3, Insightful

      For the love of god, can we hear one good thing about WP7 that is not from an AC?

      It's unlikely.

      Microsoft spent an enormous amount of money (half a billion dollars) with online and MSM reputation managers trying to generate a buzz around the "brilliant but misunderstood" WP7, but the reality for just about everyone who used one was that they're limited, corporate-kindergarten ugly, and shallow. I've tried a couple of their phones, including a recent Lumia and decided they bring nothing new to the table. Certainly nothing to attract people away from Android or iOS.

      Now that the deluge of astroturf is subsiding, real reviews are rising to the surface. This was one discussed here recently.
      http://communities-dominate.blogs.com/brands/2012/03/brutal-truth-about-lumia-cannot-sustain-even-1-to-1-replacement-of-symbian-windows-phone-strategy-do.html

      --
      "I've got more toys than Teruhisa Kitahara."
  4. Re:Struggling by Deorus · · Score: 3, Informative

    Yeah, but it could allow you to capitalize on the royalties and settlements like a true patent troll. Rumor has it that Nokia earned more from its patent settlement with Apple than from selling Windows phones, just like Microsoft earns more collecting royalties from Android vendors than from actual Windows Phone 7 licensing.

  5. No Windows Phone by jesseck · · Score: 4, Insightful

    While similar phones based on the Windows Phone platform were missing from Nokia's accusations.

    Of course not... Nokia and Windows are in a partnership. I imagine the *official* reason Windows Phone isn't mentioned is because Nokia already "licensed" Microsoft (and therefore Windows Phone) to use said patents, and Nokia is allowing Microsoft to indemnify Windows Phone manufacturers from prosecution for using those patents.

  6. Right, this is going to fix what, exactly? by bmo · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So Elop is taking a former powerhouse of a company and turning it into a patent troll. I'm so fucking impressed. It's as if Elop is *deliberately* trying to sink the company by making stupid decisions and avoiding core competencies.

    This is the most rapid "controlled flight into terrain" that I've seen a large company do.

    The "Burning Platform" memo went out in February of 2011. Look at the chart before - Nokia was slowly digging itself out of the hole. Look at the chart after. Just look at it.

    http://ompldr.org/vZWQzcw/charting.the.charts.png

    Source: Yahoo Finance NOK chart. Linear scale. 2 year.

    That's right, Elop, there's your fuckin' record.

    Good job destroying a company.

    --
    BMO

    1. Re:Right, this is going to fix what, exactly? by SpzToid · · Score: 2

      Elop never fails to disappoint. Elop's strategy never fails to disappoint.

      The Elop era reminds of the Spindler/Amelio era of Apple, and you should have seent he stock price and value of Apple at the time. Look up Michael Spindler or Gil Ameilo in wikipedia, as a way to 'document' the return of Steve Jobs to Apple.

      It is easy to take a great company straight into the ground, it has been done many times before. At least history has also shown us clear examples of what is possible under the right leadership and strategy. Exhibit A, Apple corp. and the stock price to proves it.

      Hope for Nokia is all I got. Hope for Finland is all I got. And a really nice Nokia N95, N900, and N9 and use them all, all the time, (they all support SIP/VOIP right in the OS so battery life is really good. Some people have extension phones around the house, mine support email, calendars, web-browsing etc. With SIP baked into the OS for great battery life. http://www.developer.nokia.com/Community/Wiki/VoIP_support_in_Nokia_devices.)

      --
      You can't be ahead of the curve, if you're stuck in a loop.
    2. Re:Right, this is going to fix what, exactly? by bmo · · Score: 2

      Meanwhile, Moody's gives Nokia a kick in the teeth, deservedly.

      Nokia downgraded to junk
      HELSINKI (AP) â" Moody's ratings agency on Friday downgraded Nokia's debt grade to junk status, citing greater than anticipated pressure on the struggling cellphone maker's earnings after it announced plans for major cuts and global layoffs. It kept the outlook negative, meaning it could downgrade it again.

      http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-06-15/moodys-downgrades-nokia-to-junk-status

      (Just read that on another board).

      --
      BMO

    3. Re:Right, this is going to fix what, exactly? by bmo · · Score: 2

      >maybe even Ballmer's.

      Unpossible. Ballmer owns too many voting shares to be kicked off.

      How do you think he's lasted this long with a down/flat stock price since the DotBomb?

      --
      BMO

  7. Deja vu by gmuslera · · Score: 3

    When was the last time a Microsoft used a proxy to attack a rival in the past? Well, at least Nokia have more letters than SCO to complain about.

  8. Elop and Balmer are going to prison by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The board of Nokia will be in there with them. This is multi billion dollar fraud.

    Nokia was increasing sales prior to Elop. It was losing market share yes but was increasing sales and had credible alternatives to Symbian to switch to.

    Now, symbian phones are still outselling windows phone despite the advertising but they are bundling the figures together to hide the failure that is WP.

  9. Re:Struggling by Deorus · · Score: 2

    Yeah baby, creating standard essential technologies is what patent trolling is all about... /. should've been taken down when it still mattered.

    Read my post again. You will eventually realized that I never claimed that Nokia was a patent troll, only highlighted the similarities between what's happening and true patent trolling.

  10. Re:Struggling by Urkki · · Score: 2

    Yeah, but it could allow you to capitalize on the royalties and settlements like a true patent troll.

    Patent trolling requires bogus patents, and is based on it being cheaper to pay up, than to challenge the bogus patent with risk of losing. I didn't check, but it's more than likely that these patents are actually results of genuine research, actual innovations, just the stuff patents are supposed to protect.