Justice may be unreasoning , but to compensate , she never sleeps . And so while it may seem as though it were just the other day that we were put together the latest news in the realm of law , it was in factfivedays ago . Still , a lot ’s happened in the intervening sentence — enough to guarantee ( get it ? ) the late version of our atypical legal feature , Under the Gavel .
Samsung down under
The letters patent war between Apple and Samsung moves to the Antipodean theater , as Bloomberg reportsthat the Korea - based company has agreed not to sell its Galaxy Tab 10.1 lozenge in Australia until the dispute with Apple is resolved . That deal was reportedly hit by lawyers from the two caller during a break from a listening on the subject .
Sounds square enough , until you add in the fact that Samsung says the deal covered only the the U.S. version of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 ( depict ) , which is the target of Apple ’s claims . Instead , adifferentversion of the tablet will be put on sale in Australia . ( One does have to marvel how unlike a product market under the same exact name really could be , but I opine we ’ll find out . )
Ina statement to several newsworthiness outlets , Samsung tell it will give up the Australian version of the pill “ in the close future ” ; Bloomberg says that the company also agree to cater Apple with three samples of the Cartesian product to evaluate at least a hebdomad before the machine is scheduled to launch . If Apple should lose the patent case , the companionship ’s agree to ante up Samsung unspecified damages .
A auditory modality on the subject has been scheduled by an Australian federal evaluator for August 29 . Meanwhile , Apple is reportedly taste to block sale of Samsung ’s tablet in other countries as well , though it ’s not known precisely which ones .
Now if only I could convert theMacworldbrass that we require a range legal reporter …
Making a mountain out of an anthill
The late development in letters patent litigation comes from a surprising source : It ’s not Lodsys , or even Apple , but a alignment of developer , result by outspoken programmer Mike Lee .
In rules of order to keep company like Lodsys from target small developers who ca n’t yield dearly-won sound military action , Lee isleading the charge with the Appsterdam Legal Defense Team and Appsterdam Legal Defense Fund . The organization ’s three - prong scheme consist of legal natural action ( consuming companies that sue pocket-sized developer by call up immense routine of minor developers to struggle back ) , legislation ( trying to convert the jurisprudence to defend against future attack ) , and a media drive to shape public sensing of patent practice of law .
Lee has enlisted Texas lawyer Michael McCoy to lead the fight , and says that a plan for action is being draw up and will believably come out in sincere next week .
gift the persist feeling among many independent developer — even those who have n’t been litigate — an initiative like this might at least pad esprit de corps . It ’s certainly a desirable enough cause , though just how effective such a coalition will be when it runs up against the brick paries of the impinge patent of invention system and Washington politics persist to be seen .
You down with HTC?
On another front of the patent warfare , Apple and HTC are still in pitched fight , but HTC CEO Peter Chou last weekcalled the two company ’ dispute a “ distraction,”and said that it would n’t affect the Taiwan - base company ’s bottom wrinkle . cede , that did n’t stopHTC from suing Apple in the UKon the same day as Chou ’s assertion . So was that the distractionforthe distraction ?
X marks the spot
Remember Kim Hyung - Suk , the South Korean citizen whogot a payout from Apple over the location - trailing case ? reckon like he might just be the tip of the crisphead lettuce : A Korean police force firm — of which Kim is evidently an attorney — is now seek a 1 million won payout for each of the 27,802 member of the class activeness suit , bring the sum to around 27 billion won ( $ 25.5 million ) . It ’s likeWhere ’s Waldo?except , you cognise , if Waldo sued you every metre you found him .
Antitrust issues
The Department of Justice is reportedly calculate into whether the $ 4.5 billion acquisition of Canada - based Nortel Networks ’s patent portfolio by a consortium of high-pitched - profile technical school companieswill pass antitrust muster . The appeal of companies includes Apple , EMC , Ericsson , Microsoft , Research In Motion , and Sony , and has dubbed itself “ Rockstar Bidco , ” because they ’ve allreallywanted to be in a ring since high school .
Now hear this
Having been ordered to pay $ 8 million to intellectual dimension house Personal Audio , Apple is now protected froma subsequent lawsuitby the Texas - based caller , thanks to a ruling by U.S. District Judge Ron Clark . Clark said that Apple ’s $ 8 million totality gives it a “ fully pay up license that traverse all past and succeeding use ” of Personal Audio ’s applied science . Hey , guy , like the man said — take the money and run .
iPods.com, for all your iPod needs
Surprising as it may be , Apple did not in reality own iPods.com . Cupertino file a ailment with the World Intellectual Property Organization ( WIPO ) in May to wrest control of the field name ; nowthe dispute has been resolved , and Apple will shortly benefit ascendency of iPods.com . Phew ! Only three years after the iPod attain its sales acme . Iwasgoing to make a joke about them shelling out fornewton.com , but …
