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Nokia LOSES to APPLE
(Reuters) - Apple Inc won a round in its patent fight with Nokia on Friday as a U.S. trade panel judge ruled that the U.S. company did not violate any of five Nokia patents.
In its complaint, Nokia asked the trade panel to bar the importation of Apple devices that infringe Nokia patents, citing in particular the iPhone 3GS mobile phone and iPod Nano portable music player.
Judge James Gildea, of the International Trade Commission, which hears many patent cases, said in his initial determination that Apple did not violate the Nokia patents. The complaint had been filed in December 2009.
The next step will be for the entire commission to either uphold or throw out Gildea’s decision. The target date for that decision is August 1, 2011.
In a separate decision on Friday, the ITC said it would review a judge’s ruling that Research in Motion Ltd and Apple Inc did not infringe on Eastman Kodak Co patented technology. That final decision is expected in May.
Nokia said on Friday it was taking a wait-and-see attitude toward the ITC ruling in its fight with Apple.
“While Nokia does not agree with today’s initial determination that there has been no violation, we’ll wait to see the full details of the ruling before we decide on any next steps,” said Nokia spokesman Mark Durrant.
The two companies are suing each other over patent issues in the United States and Europe. The ITC is popular because it can bar the import of infringing devices. Companion suits are often filed in U.S. district court to win financial damages.
“This gives the first strike to Apple in its case with Nokia but litigation will continue as ongoing patent suits reverberate around the mobile industry,” said Ben Wood, head of research at CCS Insight.
Apple’s iPhone and devices running on Android have carved out a large chunk of the lucrative and quickly expanding smartphone market, in large part at the expense of Nokia, which has stuck mainly to its old workhorse Symbian software.
In addition to the iPhone 3GS mobile phone and iPod, the complaint was directed at other iPhones, the iPod Touch, and iPod Classic portable music players, as well as the iMac, Mac Mini, Mac Pro, Mac Book, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air computers.
Apple’s shares closed up 1.9 percent at $351.54. Nokia shares ended 0.3 percent lower at 5.97 euros before the decision was released.
The case at the ITC is 337-701.
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APPS Drawing Check-Point Heat- I Agree With the Government! BAN THESE APPS
Content from USA Today
Four Democratic senators want to short-circuit software applications that allow drivers to identify police drunken-driving checkpoints.
In a letter Tuesday, the http://www.tumblr.com/new/textsenators asked Apple, Google and BlackBerry to either disable or quit selling downloadable applications that allow iPhone and iPad, BlackBerry and Android operating systems to identify locations of local police DUI crackdowns.
“We know that your companies share our desire to end the scourge of drunk driving, and we therefore would ask you to remove these applications from your store unless they are altered to remove the DUI/DWI checkpoint functionality,” wrote Sens. Harry Reid of Nevada, Charles Schumer of New York, Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey and Tom Udall of New Mexico.
USA TODAY reported Monday that with the spread of traffic cameras and police agencies pumping up revenue from traffic citations, drivers are relying on devices and applications that alert them to such law enforcement tools as speed and red-light cameras, speed traps, school zones and DUI checkpoints.
“One application contains a database of DUI checkpoints updated in real-time. Another application, with more than 10 million users, also allows users to alert each other to DUI checkpoints in real time,” the senators wrote.
“We appreciate the technology that has allowed millions of Americans to have information at their fingertips, but giving drunk drivers a free tool to evade checkpoints, putting innocent families and children at risk, is a matter of public concern,” they wrote. “We hope that you will give our request to make these applications unavailable immediate consideration.”
Costs of the apps vary. Some are free. One offers subscriptions that range from $9.99 a month to $99.99 for a lifetime subscription.
The costs for camera violations also vary.
Red-light camera violations cost $100 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, $124 in Longview, Wash., and $158 in Juno Beach, Fla. Speed camera citations in Cedar Rapids range from $70-$500.
Apple, Google and Research in Motion, maker of BlackBerry devices, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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