Samsung Beats Apple In Tokyo, Itching To Sue Over LTE Patents

AmiMoJo writes "A court in Tokyo has ruled that Samsung Electronics did not infringe on a patent relating to transferring media content between devices. Tokyo District Judge Tamotsu Shoji dismissed the case filed by Apple in August, finding that Samsung was not in violation of Apple patents related to synchronizing music and video data between devices and servers." This particular battle is just one front in a patent war that spans ten countries and dozens of cases. Samsung also confirmed it was ready and willing to sue Apple if an LTE iPhone ever hits the market. Meanwhile, Apple was granted a number of new patents on Tuesday, including one for changing settings on a wireless device depending on its location (#8,254,902). For example, sound and light from the device could be disabled when entering a movie theater, or communications with other devices could be disabled in a science laboratory.

Comments

Is this over the same patents?

[realsilly]

Well, from all I've heard, the US jury really dropped the ball on following instructions in the US trial, it sounds like Japanese jurors looked at things differently.

Re:Is this over the same patents?

[alen]

you can't patent ideas, most of the iOS patents are for specific implementations on the current touch screen tech. the fact that we had some kind of pinch to zoom 20 years ago has no bearing on current tech. different screens, different algorithms need to be created.

its like cars. every automaker has patents on their cars and specific engines. yet they all operate the same way and use the same fuel. everyone just has to make their own algorithm or slightly different way of injecting and burning fuel. been like that for decades and has worked

Re:Is this over the same patents?

[aaaaaaargh!]

It doesn't matter, what matters is that Apple is hurting all customers including their own, in the long run, by instigating spurious patent battles based on a rotten patent system. Whether it is an iphone, a Samsung phone or whatever else, you pay a hefty fee to lawyers anytime you buy a new phone.

Re:Is this over the same patents?

[RaceProUK]

Can you imagine driving a flying car to work every day?

Based on the driving standards I see every day, I'm keeping four wheels firmly on the ground for now :)

Re:Is this over the same patents?

[gnasher719]

Well, from all I've heard, the US jury really dropped the ball on following instructions in the US trial, it sounds like Japanese jurors looked at things differently.

Not from "all you heard". Only from the "Apple is patenting rounded rectangles" android fan crowd which has been overtaking Slashdot apparently (and they seem to be switching to "Apple has patented all rectangles" recently).

In Japan, the case was about different patents, the patent law is different, so the results are unrelated. And the jury in the USA got a list of a few hundred questions, answered them all, and only an idiot would claim that they didn't follow jury instructions (there are of course a lot of them about).

Jury instructions were: If you think that Apple has shown convincing evidence that Samsung's patents are invalid, then state that they are invalid, otherwise state that they are valid. And if you think that Samsung has shown convincing evidence that Apple's patents are invalid, then state that they are invalid, otherwise state that they are valid. The jury followed these instructions. The fandroids don't like it, many think the decisions were wrong (of course only as far as Apple's patents are concerned), and they are welcome to their opinion, but saying that the jury didn't follow jury instructions is a lie.

Re:Is this over the same patents?

[Anonymous Coward]

"Samsung also confirmed it was ready and willing to sue Apple if an LTE iPhone ever hits the market."

Due to the razzing Apple fanboyz like you have been giving about Android lately (due to the unfavorable outcome of the lawsuit in California), I am delighted by the statement. Enjoy being stuck at 3G data-speeds, SUCKERS.

"Meanwhile, Apple was granted a number of new patents on Tuesday, including one for changing settings on a wireless device depending on its location (#8,254,902). For example, sound and light from the device could be disabled when entering a movie theater, or communications with other devices could be disabled in a science laboratory."

This is not a novel idea. This is not innovative. This just illustrates what is wrong with the current patent system.

Re:Is this over the same patents?

[rtb61]

A whole bunch of prior art ignored in the court case marks you as a typical lying Apple marketdroid. Apple invents nothing, makes nothing, and basically steals everything they simply have the worst example of PR=B$ working 24/7, sicken worthless individuals contaminating the tech biosphere adding value to nothing. More and more people loath Apple by the day, a company load with slimey worms and rotten to the core and that's death to fad products, products that are already seen as tasteless spoilt brat fashion.

How much is this costing us?

[GeekWithAKnife]

Obviously this is blatant abuse on both sides. It no longer about genuine infringement it's about sticking it to the competition or getting back at them. Now the patent system is it's own worst enemy, stifling innovation and progress. What a shame.

Re:How much is this costing us?

[synapse7]

If I had products being banned for having rounded corners I would think at that point the "good guy" in me would be dead and I'd be going after them any way I could.

I don't even want to hear about this anymore.

[slackware 3.6]

Apple should focus on bringing the best product to the market not the most expensive. Many people buy Samsung because you don't have to drop $600 on a phone. Apple is on its way to being the biggest patent troll in history.

Why do we even have a Patent Office?

[h4rr4r]

For example, sound and light from the device could be disabled when entering a movie theater, or communications with other devices could be disabled in a science laboratory.

How is that patentable?
Not only is a obvious, it is already implemented by various android applications. Tasker probably being the most famous.

Can you now patent stuff people are already doing?

This is what's fucking wrong with patents

[PortHaven]

"sound and light from the device could be disabled when entering a movie theater"

I've been calling for this feature since the 90's.

It should NOT be patentable. Seriously, I am so fucking sick of patents.

How do we stop this insanity.

Re:Disabling features based on location e.g. Cinem

[CanHasDIY]

It is cute when people think things that are completely unrelated serve as prior art. Your example is like saying Barney the Dinosaur is prior art to my Purple Popsicle patent.

Yea, how silly of me to think that an application that controls the lights and sounds emitted by a wireless device, based on location, would qualify as prior art for a patent on applications that control the lights and sounds emitted by a wireless device based on location.

Silly, silly me.

Going down a Black Hole

[na1led]

If these patent wars continue, there will be an endless amount of patents for everything imaginable. Someone needs to draw a line in the sand, or nuke this whole patent system altogether!