Posts Tagged ‘patent’
Apple roundup: China Unicom gets iPhone 4, latest on kickback case, patent on slide to unlock
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 phones in China in early September. Apple also reportedly agreed to let in China, though the launch won’t happen at exactly the same time. China Unicom had previously said it was in talks with Apple.
The iPad from China Unicom will use a 3G micro sim card, which is also used in the iPhone 4. Odds are good that the iPhone 4 will be a big seller in China.
Update on bribery case
An on Monday that he and a co-conspirator collected more than $2.5 million in bribes from six Asian suppliers of parts of Apple’s products.
Paul Shim Devine, 37, of Sunnyvale entered the plea in federal court in San Jose, Calif. Prosecutors said that Devine’s Hotmail and Gmail accounts showed how he orchestrated deposits in 14 bank accounts. Companies competing to sell Apple parts for iPhones and iPods gave him tens of thousands of dollars per transaction. The emails were found on Devine’s Apple-supplied laptop hard drive, according to a civil suit against Devine.
A second man named in the indictment, Andrew Ang of Singapore, was not present and federal officials would not comment on his whereabouts. Devine worked at Apple starting in 2005. His attorney declined comment. Apple said that information supplied by Devine helped certain Asian suppliers beat out rivals for Apple’s business. Apple opened an investigation of Devine in April and examined Devine’s laptop. Devine instructed an employee at Cresyn, an ear phone and ear bud maker in Seoul, South Korea, to send payments in amounts less than $10,000 to avoid suspicion. Cresyn could not be reached by the San Jose Mercury News.
Apple’s latest patent
t on the “slide to unlock” feature of the iPhone. A few years ago, this creation was pretty nifty because it prevented you from dialing someone while your phone was in your pocket. The U.S. Trademark and Patent Office has finally awarded the patent to Apple three years after its filing. Apple also received a patent on the “character pop-up” that enlarges a letter on the screen as you type on message on the iPhone’s keyboard. The enlargement of the key helps you realize that you hit the right key.
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Microsoft forms patent agreement with HTC, will receive royalties for all HTC Android phones
In a surprising move this morning, that it has formed a patent agreement with cellphone manufacturer . The deal gives HTC coverage under Microsoft’s patent portfolio for its Android phones, and Microsoft will receive royalties from the company in exchange.
While the agreement could be seen simply as Microsoft extorting money from HTC to avoid another patent lawsuit (like the one it’s currently dealing with ), HTC is also getting something out of it. It gives the company access to a potentially strong portfolio of patents that is far beyond anything Google could offer, and positions it with Microsoft against patent grievances from Apple.
While Microsoft’s press release didn’t go into why it decided to form this agreement with HTC, sources close to the company say that Microsoft believes Android violates its patents, . The company wouldn’t say what Android was infringing, but it could be related to its , which Android is based on. Microsoft deputy general counsel Horacio Gutierrez told Cnet that the company prefers to handle IP issues without lawsuits, but added that “competitors do not free ride on our innovations.” Word is that Microsoft is targeting other Android manufacturers as well.
The strangest thing about this deal is that we now live in a world where Microsoft will be earning money from every HTC Android device sold, including Google’s own Nexus One. HTC has thus far been Google’s primary hardware partner — the company also developed the (the first Android phone), the , and the .
All of this is bad news for Apple. HTC now has help from Microsoft against Apple’s patent lawsuit, and if other Android manufacturers follow HTC’s lead, Microsoft could start benefiting directly from Android’s success.
In a strange way, the move makes complete sense for Microsoft. Its platform doesn’t have much of a chance at destabilizing Apple’s command of the smartphone market — but Android’s presence across multiple carriers and handset manufacturers certainly gives it a better shot. If Android is going to be the new dominant platform, Microsoft might as well make money off of it (while kicking Apple in the shins).
Don’t miss , VentureBeat’s conference on the future of mobile. The theme: “.” Now expanded to two days, MobileBeat 2010 will take place on July 12-13 at The Palace Hotel in San Francisco. . For complete conference details, or to apply for the MobileBeat Startup Competition, .
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