Nearly the entire internet has been railing against a certain international treaty called the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) since details were leaked in 2008. After the backlash, the language of the document was toned down and some more onerous requirements were dropped. Now ACTA-light is heading for a signing ceremony this weekend.
Believe it or not common sense actually wins out from time to time in our legal system, including the convoluted mess known as patent and trademark law. In fact, it happened this week as the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) essentially told Apple it's off its rocker for trying to trademark the term "multi-touch" and denied the Cupertino company's application trying to do exactly that.
VIA Technologies is unleashing its legal beagles at Apple for allegedly infringing on three microprocessor-related patents and has filed a complaint with the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) and the U.S. District Court of Delaware. The patent infringement allegations extend to Apple's iPhone, iPad, iPod, and Apple TV devices, as well as associated software.
A 23-year old Arizona man is in FBI custody today charged with breaking into Sony Pictures computer systems as a member of LulzSec. Cody Kretsinger is alleged to have used proxy servers to access Sony’s systems back in May. The FBI is not making any statements, but other search warrants are apparently being executed.
As part of the Facebook F8 conference, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings took a break from sawing his company in two in order to announce Netflix integration on the massive social network. Users will be able to share their Instant Streaming picks with friends automatically, but there’s just one problem. US users won’t be getting access to the feature due to a law from the 1980s.
Oracle thinks it's entitled to at least $2 billion in damages from Google over a handful of Java-related patent and copyright infringements in Android. Actually, Oracle might feel it's entitled to at least $6.1 billion, a number U.S. District Judge William Alsup rejected in July. The judge ordered Oracle to come up with a new damages report and suggested the firm start at $100 million.
A company called "Internet Machines" is suing several high profile technology bigwigs over alleged patent infringement violations related to PCI Express switch technology. Just some of the many names include Dell, Nvidia, AMD, Asus, and Samsung, but Internet Machines is also targeting retailers like Best Buy and TigerDirect, as well as system builders, one of which told us this feels like an extortion scheme.
Feeling a little slighted after selling off Rock Band subsidiary Harrmonix, Viacom is seeking damages from the shareholders of the former partner. The suit is seeking damages in the amount of $131 million. As it happens, Viacom paid only $149 million for the company in 2006 when the plastic instrument gaming market was hot.
Remember Joel Tenebaum? He's a 28-year-old graduate student at Boston University pursuing a physics PhD. He's also enjoying a little more than 15 minutes of fame for fighting the RIAA in a copyright case in which Mr. Tenebaum was originally ordered to pay $675,00, a amount that was later reduced to $67,500 before a federal appeals court on Friday reinstated the original verdict.
In a rare example of bipartisanship, the US Congress passed a patent reform bill, and President Obama has just signed it into law. The America Invents Act is the most significant revamp of the patent system in decades. It aims to speed the review process, weed out bad patents, and ensure the right party gets the patent.
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