Penguin, which is merging with Random House, has settled with the Department of Justice in the ebook pricing lawsuit, which alleges that Apple and publishers conspired to set ebook prices. Penguin had planned to fight the case in court, but the pending merger has changed that. Read more at paidContent »
Google has been cracking down on sites and services that make it possible to convert videos into MP3 files, but now some of its users are firing back with a petition. Their logic: YouTube is a broadcast site, so it should also allow recording. Read more »
Canadian law firms are filing class-action suits against Apple and book publishers for allegedly colluding on e-book prices. Read more at paidContent »
Twitter hopes to make it safe to tweet about the iPad again. The company has filed a lawsuit against five companies that build tools for helping really annoying people spam Twitter users with shady offers and dangerous links. Read more »
Just a week after Motorola was awarded two significant victories in a German court over Apple, the companies’ luck have changed. On Friday, a judge ruled he would not grant an injunction against Apple products on the basis of a 3G/UMTS patent claimed by Motorola. Read more »
Apple is looking to sharpen the teeth on a recent import ban it secured from the ITC against HTC smartphones, according to an appeal filing discovered Wednesday. The appeal seems to at least seek to broaden the scope of the ITC’s ruling. Read more »
Apple told a German court Friday that if it granted a temporary ban on some Apple products in the country for infringing a Motorola email syncing patent, $2.7 billion is the amount of money Apple could potentially lose. The judge was reportedly skeptical about the amount. Read more »
Software maker Openwave filed suit with the International Trade Commission Wednesday accusing Apple and RIM mobile devices of infringing on five of mobile Internet connection patents, joining a long line mobile companies who are currently using the U.S. patent system to squeeze competitors. Read more »
Social gaming giant Zynga is the subject of a new patent infringement lawsuit, the latest in a string of such claims. Now that Zynga is under a microscope as it moves toward an IPO, will its legal troubles be too much for potential investors to handle? Read more »
Google rocked the mobile world on Monday, August 15, with the news that it will buy Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion, marking a 63-percent premium for the handset manufacturer. It’s a move that ushers Google into the exclusive club of companies that control both the hardware and software elements of their smartphone offerings, and it will enable Google to design handsets that are more closely integrated with Android. However, the deal doesn’t come without its risks, and it remains to be seen just how it will affect other handset makers, competition from Microsoft and the crucial patent issues currently surrounding Google. Companies mentioned in this report include Apple, Research In Motion and Samsung. For a full list of companies, and to read the full report, sign up for a free trial. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
HTC says nearly all Apple product lines infringe on patents it owns, and it wants compensation. On Tuesday, the Taiwan-based Android smartphone maker filed a lawsuit against Apple, saying that Macs, iPads, iPhones, iPods, AirPort, Time Capsule and Apple TV infringe on three patents it owns. Read more »
Those hoping for iPad lightning to strike twice this year might be disappointed by a new report out Friday. The A6 processor, cited as the central component for a new, more powerful iPad won’t hit the public until next year, sources say. Read more »
Apple has been granted a preliminary injunction by a German court, which will effectively prevent the sale of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 in all countries belonging to the European Union, save the Netherlands. Samsung can still appeal the decision in a few weeks. Read more »
Rovi is taking Hulu to court over program guide patents that the streaming site is allegedly infringing against. The suit was filed the same week that Fox announced it is putting up a pay wall around broadcast TV content that used to be free online. Read more »
Netflix is being taken to court over not providing accessible videos for the hearing impaired. In a lawsuit, the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) accused Netflix of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by not providing captions for most of its streaming videos. Read more »
