Whoever started the smartphone patent wars opened up the biggest can of worms. Apple, Samsung, HTC, Google and Microsoft; they are all involved. And for the most part it’s Apple’s mobile products that most of them are accused of plagiarising. But now it’s time for Apple to experience the ignominy of infringing other companies patents themselves.
MobileMedia Ideas LLC has won a lawsuit in which Apple were accused of infringing on three patents. The patents centre on the camera phone, call handling and call rejection. While there is no word on damages being awarded yet; when that happens, MobileMedia CEO Larry Horn has said that they could be “substantial.”
Initially Apple was taken to court over 14 different patents, but the case was taken to trial once the number of patents in question was reduced to three.
MobileMedia said it that Apple would cause “irreparable injury” to their business if they were allowed to use their patented inventions in the iPhone without licensing them. Horn did say “we’re [MobileMedia] not in the litigation business.” Steve Bauer, a partner at Proskauer Rose LLP said in a statement:
This was a very difficult case. It required us to take the jury back to 1994-1998, when these technologies were first invented.
Apple’s stock fell 1.7% ($9.31), but they are still at the dizzy heights of $529.69. They have also refused to comment on the verdict.
Source: Bloomberg | Image courtesy of Ubergizmo
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