Technology News: Legal

Ruling Snuffs Psystar's Mac Dreams
November 16, 2009

Apple has won a summary judgment in its copyright infringement case against Psystar. The Miami-based startup turned heads last year with its offer of a $400 Mac clone -- that is, non-Apple hardware running the Mac OS X Leopard operating system. Several claims in the case remain to be briefed and tried if it doesn't settle first, but it likely will.

Nokia Throws the Book at Apple
October 24, 2009

Nokia announced on Thursday that it has filed a lawsuit against Apple, alleging that Apple's iPhone infringes 10 of Nokia's mobile technology patents. The suit asserts that the iPhone infringes Nokia patents for GSM, UMTS and wireless LAN standards covering wireless data, speech coding, security and encryption. At issue are all Apple iPhone models shipped since the device was introduced in 2007.

Apple, Palm and the 'No-Poaching' Non-Agreement
August 21, 2009

When Apple CEO Steve Jobs suggested to Palm that the two companies refrain from hiring away each other's top employees, as reported by Bloomberg, was he committing an illegal act? Or will he skate by because Palm CEO Ed Colligan rejected the proposal, so nothing really happened? The incident occurred two years ago, shortly after Palm had hired former Apple executive Jon Rubinstein, according to a report.

It's a Big Bowl of Hot Alphabet Soup for Apple
August 05, 2009

On Monday, Google CEO Eric Schmidt stepped down from Apple's board of directors, just three months after vowing to stay on. However, that announcement was apparently not enough to satisfy federal regulators -- the Federal Trade Commission later reiterated that it would continue looking into the two companies' top-level ties.

FTC to Apple, Google Boards: We're Watching
August 04, 2009

If Apple and Google executives thought that Google CEO Eric Schmidt's Monday resignation from Apple's board of directors would end any governmental interest in their business practices, they may have to reboot their plans. The Federal Trade Commission has announced that it had already been looking into the board membership situation among the Silicon Valley tech giants.

The SEC's Hard Look at Apple and Apple's Slow Boat to China
July 15, 2009

Public statements issued by Apple over the past year concerning the health of CEO Steve Jobs may have caught the attention of federal regulators -- the Securities Exchange Commission is rumored to have launched an investigation. What the SEC wants to know is, did Apple mislead investors with its statements? However, that is difficult to prove, and it's counterbalanced by solid company performance.

The Folly of Predicting New Products From Apple's Patents
June 23, 2009

As a user of Apple products, I relish the mystery of what's coming next, eagerly consuming the rumors and speculation dished out by the blogs and Web sites. As a patent lawyer, however, I can't help but to eye with skepticism each new patent application served up by an Apple watcher as potential evidence of the next big thing.

FTC May Take Hard Look at Look-Alike Google, Apple Boards
May 05, 2009

Google and Apple are both wildly successful Web 2.0 companies that can be considered market makers in their respective fields. Another similarity that is less obvious -- but apparently very compelling to the Federal Trade Commission -- is their taste in corporate leadership.

OdioWorks Drags Apple to Court in Free Speech Battle
April 28, 2009

A discussion about open source technology on the tech forum site run by Virgina-based OdioWorks is pitting the defense of a First Amendment right -- namely, freedom of speech -- against enforcement of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, the tech industry's legal guiding light for the past decade.

iPhone Game Masters Get $10M VC Power-Up
March 25, 2009

The iPhone is no stranger to competition. Just like its Mac cousins, it's constantly in a market share race against a wide-open field of contenders, and it knows its way around a courtroom, where Apple's lawyers have a habit of schooling the opposition. However, it might be games of a more casual nature that will really make or break the platform.

Pears vs. Apples: Clone Wars Escalate
February 11, 2009

Fans of the iPhone may not have to wait much longer for an upgrade. Apple could release three new versions of the popular mobile phone by the end of this year, suggests a research note from investment bank Canaccord Adams. The first, a 32 GB phone in multiple colors, is likely to arrive in the next six months.

Psystar Wins a Skirmish in Mac Clone Legal Battle
February 09, 2009

A federal judge in California ruled last week that a Florida-based maker of Apple clones may move ahead with its attempts to prove that Apple has violated federal copyright laws. Psystar has accused Apple of misusing its copyrights associated with OS X to keep Psystar from manufacturing its Mac clones, called "OpenComputers," capable of running the operating system.

Apple's Saber-Rattling, Capitol Hill's Ruckus, Big Blue's Silence
January 31, 2009

Apple may have just thrown a big bucket of cold water all over the Palm Pre love fest, courtesy of the U.S. Patent Office. The company has officially secured the rights to the technology behind the distinctive multifunction touchscreen found on the iPhone and the iPod touch -- it's what gives you the ability to pinch and spread your fingers to zoom in and out of a photo or a Web page.

Big Blue to Look Over Apple Exec's Shoulder
January 28, 2009

A three-month dispute between IBM and Apple over a former IBM employee has been resolved, but probably to none of the parties' complete satisfaction. The two companies have agreed that Mark Papermaster, who served as vice president of IBM's blade development unit, can go to work for Apple. However, he must certify in court that he will not be using any of IBM's proprietary information.

Psystar Takes Another Nip at Apple's Heels
December 11, 2008

A Florida-based company that makes Mac clones has upped the ante in its ongoing copyright litigation against Apple. In its latest claim in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, Psystar claims that Apple has injected code into a version of its Mac OS X software that makes it impossible for unauthorized third-party computers to run the operating system.

Litigants Lob More Lawsuits at Apple
November 26, 2008

Apple is facing two more legal challenges against the iPhone. Los Angeles-based EMG Technology filed a suit in the U.S. District Court in Texas claiming that the iPhone infringes on a patent approved last month by the Patent and Trademark Office. The patent is for an "apparatus and method of manipulating a region on a wireless device screen for viewing, zooming and scrolling Internet content."