Apple Accused of Infringing Three of Samsung's Patents

[Akshay Masand]

Samsung recently moved forward with arguments in its case against Apple by going on the offensive. The South Korean electronics giant is alleging that Apple infringed on three patents regarding the usability of multi-feature portable devices like smartphones.

In court on Tuesday, Harvard professor and patent specialist Woodward Yang was called to the stand as Samsung’s fourth witness. He gave his testimony regarding three patents currently owned by Samsung which covered photos, email attachments and playing music in the background. According to in-court reports from CNET, Yang claims to have spent roughly 300 to 400 hours researching Apple devices for trial purposes, concluding that certain models of the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch all infringe on Samsung’s patents.

Yang demoed a photo emailing patent during his testimony by showing Apple’s iDevices sending pictures taken of an orange. He went on to say the invention was designed with feature phones in mind, doing away with the hassle of connecting the device to a computer to offload photos. It isn’t clear if the patent covers Apple’s integrated photo sharing options though. In another photo-related patent claim, Samsung tried to assert a photo album patent where users can bookmark a specific photo for viewing later. Yang demoed the allegedly infringed upon feature on the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPad 2, and fourth generation iPod Touch, all of which presented the same image when bringing up a photo roll in an app other than Apple’s default Photos. Last but not least, Samsung asserted a patent which described a software solution for music to be played in the background behind other open apps. Here, Yang noted the idea for the claim was to find a way to keep music playing when switching through apps and while keeping device size down by not introducing decoding hardware.

During Apple’s cross-examination, Apple lawyer Bill Lee went on the offensive, referencing a page frm Samsung’s slide-by-side comparison of the iPhone and what was targeted for the Galaxy S, stating the Korean company studied Apple’s implementation of email attachments. Lee brought up the following: "In your 400 hours of work, you have not found one iota of evidence that Apple knew about the '893 patent, or copied the '893 patent," and Yang agreed the assertion was true. It was noted by the Apple lawyer that none of the patent investors testified in Samsung’s defense, nor does the company use any of the asserted properties in its smartphones. The cross-examination ended with Lee asking Yang how Apple could of possibly copied the features if they weren’t even present on Samsung’s devices at the time of the iPhone’s release.



We’ll have to see what’s in store for the two tech giants as the Apple vs. Samsung trial continues.

Source: CNET

[Anonymous]

When will this end!?!

[Gopher_Otis]

Seriously. Apple's patents should be an industry standard, much like nVidia's.

[Cer0]

Seriously. Apple's patents should be an industry standard, much like nVidia's.

Tell that to Nokia too on the GSM. It may be standard but still have to pay them for it if not then you can't use it.

[andygev35]

I'm not a patent authority, but these seem like frivolous patents that (to me) don't sound ground-breaking enough to even warrant the issuing of patents. I suppose next we'll see patents for how many pixels an icon will have...

[TheOrioles33]

When will this end!?!

It's getting old isn't it?

[islandremix]

Apple vs. Samsung
Samsung vs Apple

What people are failing to see is what this website is entirely about. "Mod-My-I". Samsung just modded their "I" with a permanent Jailbreak. LOL

[RyoSaeba]

Yang got PWNED!

[Jarolin Vargas]

I dont want this to end. Its pure entertainment. I just wish they make a series of this abd put it on television. But when it does end i want apple to be victorious. Samsung purposly copied and infrienged on apples patents. Even if the patents are ridiculous they still own them.

[docmagoo2]

I dont want this to end. Its pure entertainment. I just wish they make a series of this abd put it on television. But when it does end i want apple to be victorious. Samsung purposly copied and infrienged on apples patents. Even if the patents are ridiculous they still own them.

Im actually sick of hearing about it....

[MXCO]

I'm on apple side only cause I have an iPhone xD.

[xNEOxGENESISx]

This is true and beside that, it's like whoever win, wins the lottery.
Even if they don't settle this, both of them are gaining so much free attention from the media ...= free advertising pretty much.
What they really need to do is stop competing but start collaborating again, just as it used to be...

[NakedFaerie]

Apple need to grow up and start sharing before more things start biting them in the butt.
I hope it ends in Samsungs favor. That'll show Apple to shut up and play nice.

I'm not a patent authority, but these seem like frivolous patents that (to me) don't sound ground-breaking enough to even warrant the issuing of patents. I suppose next we'll see patents for how many pixels an icon will have...

Yep, the patents Apple have are all stupid ones. Like the one where they are the only ones that can have round edges. Is this a joke one or is this actually real? If its real then Apple really are stupid pric*s.

[TechnoUniversity]

Patents should be for game changing things. Stuff like round screen edges and photo sharing are just stupid. Like its ridiculous.

[exNavy]

Allow me to convert this headline into 2012 readability standards for the Internet challenged readers out there:

Apple Accused of Infringing Three of Samsung's Patent's

I'm so not used to seeing any word that ends in an S on the Internet without a freaking apostrophe in front of it. Whether grammatically correct or not. :P

[Digitalfeind]

Im actually sick of hearing about it....

Than stay out of posts related to it.

[iBanks]

I'm not a patent authority, but these seem like frivolous patents that (to me) don't sound ground-breaking enough to even warrant the issuing of patents. I suppose next we'll see patents for how many pixels an icon will have...

So what your saying is because it doesn't SOUND ground-breaking enough that it shouldn't matter but not because of the amount of time, amount of coding, the amount of money and manpower that came into the design of this patented technology created back when it didn't exist shouldn't have been able to become patented? Now that makes a lot of sense.

I'm all in all for Apple, but if there is anything Apple infringed on when it comes to patented technology that they did not license on, I expect for them to be held responsible as well.

But THIS just expressed that the technology Apple was accused of wasn't present at the time frame in which this trial is based on now THAT is a laugh and a half. You come back with accusing something that didn't exist during that time after Apple just raped you about a 132 page novel on how to copy the iPhone pixel by pixel? Lets be serious.

[digitalreflex]

I'm not a patent authority, but these seem like frivolous patents that (to me) don't sound ground-breaking enough to even warrant the issuing of patents. I suppose next we'll see patents for how many pixels an icon will have...

You are right. I wonder if most of these things even deserve patents

[H4CK3R]

Apple and Samsung must really love each other since they love to sue each other so much.

All of these lawsuits are stupid, it's just the fact that Samusung and Apple hate each others guts.

[edoutmax]

"The cross-examination ended with Lee asking Yang how Apple could of possibly copied the features if they weren’t even present on Samsung’s devices at the time of the iPhone’s release."

hahaha so in order for someone to violate a patent it has to be present on a device? Also Apple, since the birth of mobile phones, have you ever seen a phone with sharp corners?