Ingk Labs rescues technology behind SwapThing to build the next eBay (exclusive)

Proving that one man’s trash is another’s treasure, New York-based incubator Ingk Labs has salvaged an e-commerce patent gem from a defunct startup. It hopes to use that second-hand technology to corner the online-bartering market and take on eBay and Amazon.

Ingk Labs rescues undervalued intellectual property (IP) from dying startups, and then brings its IP buys back to life as new companies. Today, it has resurrected the technology behind SwapThing, a now obsolete site … Continue Reading

Google’s Motorola Mobility acquisition halted by EU regulators

Google’s proposed acquisition of Motorola Mobility has hit a roadblock, courtesy of European Union regulators.

EU investigators have been reviewing the deal for some time, but they are suspending that review to gather more information about the proposal and determine whether or not such an acquisition would harm competition between manufacturers of Android smartphones and other devices.

“The European Commission has asked for more information, which is routine, while they review our Motorola Mobility acquisition,” … Continue Reading

Motorola wins latest patent spat against Apple in Germany

A German court sided with Motorola in a patent lawsuit against Apple today, granting an injunction against the iPad and iPhone maker. Apple said it plans to appeal the decision.

Motorola’s lawsuit, which was filed in April 2011, accuses Apple of using patented cellular data transmission technology in its iPhones and 3G iPads without paying. Motorola can pursue the injunction by posting a $133 million bond, prohibiting Apple from selling the offending devices in Germany … Continue Reading

Google to the rescue! The company will help Android manufacturers in legal trouble

Between patent licensing fees (payable to Microsoft) and patent lawsuits (brought by Apple), Android device manufacturers just can’t catch a break.

But there is a silver lining: Google chairman Eric Schmidt stated today that Google would help and support those original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) involved in legal battles.

In a visit to Taipei today, Schmidt stated, “We tell our partners, including the ones here in Taiwan, we will support them. For example we have been … Continue Reading

Barnes & Noble cries foul on Microsoft for Android patent trolling

Barnes & Noble has appealed to U.S. regulators to put a stop to Microsoft’s collection of patent royalties for Android devices.

“Microsoft is embarking on a campaign of asserting trivial and outmoded patents against manufacturers of Android devices,” wrote Barnes & Noble, maker of the Android-running Nook line, in an letter to the U.S. Justice Department’s chief counsel for competition policy.

In March, Microsoft sued Barnes & Nobel for infringing on five patents related to … Continue Reading

Samsung’s plan to block sales of the iPhone 5

Samsung may be gearing up for a massive, anti-Apple offensive as the iPhone 5 release date draws nearer.

Sources inside Samsung reportedly told AppleInsider that Samsung will take Apple to court the minute the iPhone 5 is released in Korea and maintain a firm line, especially since the electronics manufacturer is not only a rival of Apple’s but also a vendor that provides important hardware components for the iPhone.

“As long as Apple does not … Continue Reading

Google’s patent plot thickens with new Microsoft lawsuit against Motorola Mobility

The string of Android-related patent lawsuits is heating up with a new complaint brought by Microsoft against Motorola Mobility.

Motorola Mobility is Google’s latest acquisition and maker of some of the most popular and successful Android phones.

Microsoft is alleging the infringement of seven patents and is asking for an injunction on the importation of Droid 2, Droid X, Cliq XT, Devour, Backflip and Charm mobile devices.

“Investing in a broad and truly open mobile … Continue Reading

Zynga gets slapped with patent lawsuit over credits-based gaming

Game maker Zynga is being taken to court over patents that cover some  fundamental aspects of social gaming: credits and prize redemption.

Agincourt Gaming, the combatively named studio says it holds the intellectual property for “credits-based online gaming and a prize redemption system based on the outcome of game play.”

The company, which currently sports a stable of just one title, has pulled up patents dating back to 1996.

Agincourt says some of Zynga’s most … Continue Reading

HTC turns tables on Apple, sues iPod maker for patent violation

Now this is how patent warfare is conducted: Taiwan-based HTC has filed a lawsuit against Apple, Inc. for patent violations throughout its lineup of consumer electronics devices.

HTC is claiming patent violations for the U.S. sale of iPods, iPads, iPhones, Mac computers and more. The wording of the suit would indicate that HTC ostensibly wants to stop Apple from importing these devices (they’re manufactured in China) and selling them in the U.S. HTC is also … Continue Reading

Google buys 1,030 IBM patents, girding its loins for Android lawsuit

Google has snapped up more than a thousand IBM patents, a move that likely doubled the number of patents held by the search giant.

Many patent law experts are suggesting the move was intended to give Google a bit more leverage in its ongoing litigation around the Android operating system. Since last summer, Google has been embroiled in a legal tangle with Oracle, a terrifying mammoth in the patent department, and the IBM purchase is … Continue Reading

Have the location-based patent wars begun?

Popular location-based check-in application Foursqaure was slapped with a lawsuit today for supposedly infringing on a patent from little known company Mobile Commerce Framework, as first reported by TechCrunch.

The lawsuit was filed yesterday by Mobile Commerce Framework’s legal representation Jonathan Hangartner in the Southern District of California and is claiming financial damages as well as the withdrawal of all products by Foursquare to be impounded or destroyed.

The claim is that Foursquare’s application infringes … Continue Reading

Who invented cloud gaming? T5 Labs tangles with OnLive (exclusive)

Cloud gaming service OnLive recently announced that it had a fundamental patent on its business of instantly providing sophisticated video games to users over broadband connections. But an unknown startup, T5 Labs, says it has won a patent that predates OnLive’s filing. At stake is a the future of Internet-delivered gaming — and a lot of money.

OnLive launched its service last year, allowing gamers who might previously have popped a disc into a console … Continue Reading

Could Kodak's patents threaten photo-sharing sites?

A patent dispute is unfolding between Kodak and photo-sharing site Shutterfly that could have ramifications for some of the broader photo-sharing sites on the web, such as Yahoo’s Flickr, the widely-used Picasa by Google, and Facebook’s Photos feature.

Kodak has filed a lawsuit against Shutterfly over five patents it claims Shutterfly’s online services are infringing on. Shutterfly is a popular way for people to purchase print photo books, stationery, and calendars out of their personal … Continue Reading

Gaikai isn't concerned about OnLive's fundamental patent on cloud gaming

OnLive announced yesterday that it had received a fundamental patent on cloud gaming, where users can play high-end games on low-end computers by utilizing the computing power of broadband-connected data centers. But one of its chief rivals, Gaikai, said it isn’t concerned about the patent because it is operating in a different way.

Both companies can stream game imagery from a data center to a gamer’s computer. Most of the heavy-duty computing is done in … Continue Reading

Rivals beware: OnLive says it has a fundamental patent on cloud-based games

Games-on-demand company OnLive said today it has received a fundamental patent covering the invention of cloud-based video games.

Steve Perlman, chief executive Palo Alto, Calif.-based OnLive, said in an interview the patent is one of hundreds that the company has filed, and its coverage of the technology involved is very deep. OnLive’s technology is potentially disruptive, since it allows game publishers to sell games to users over a broadband network rather than in stores; it … Continue Reading

Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen sharking everyone from Apple to Facebook on down

Paul Allen, the cofounder of Microsoft from long, long ago, is now trying his hand at suing the entire Internet over decade-old patents owned by his former company, Interval Research.

AOL, Apple, eBay, Facebook, Google, Netflix, Yahoo and YouTube are named as defendants in the case for infringing on several wide-reaching patents — one of which covers offering suggestions and different advertisements based on what the consumer is viewing.

Such patents, often known as business … Continue Reading

Apple roundup: China Unicom gets iPhone 4, latest on kickback case, patent on slide to unlock

Apple is making news around the globe. Today, rumors surfaced that China Unicom will get the iPhone 4 for launch in China early next month. An Apple manager accused of accepting kickbacks from suppliers in Asia in exchange for confidential Apple data pleaded not guilty to the charges yesterday. And closer to home, Apple has received a patent for the “slide to unlock” feature on the iPhone.

China Unicom

Caixin Media Group reported that China … Continue Reading

Microsoft forms patent agreement with HTC, will receive royalties for all HTC Android phones

Apple is making news around the globe. Today, rumors surfaced that China Unicom will get the iPhone 4 for launch in China early next month. An Apple manager accused of accepting kickbacks from suppliers in Asia in exchange for confidential Apple data pleaded not guilty to the charges yesterday. And closer to home, Apple has received a patent for the “slide to unlock” feature on the iPhone.

China Unicom

Caixin Media Group reported that China … Continue Reading

Google wins patent for location-based advertising

Apple is making news around the globe. Today, rumors surfaced that China Unicom will get the iPhone 4 for launch in China early next month. An Apple manager accused of accepting kickbacks from suppliers in Asia in exchange for confidential Apple data pleaded not guilty to the charges yesterday. And closer to home, Apple has received a patent for the “slide to unlock” feature on the iPhone.

China Unicom

Caixin Media Group reported that China … Continue Reading