Week 5: HTC vs Nokia (how HTC One almost got banned in the UK)

In 2012, Nokia went on a suing spree over its patents: it filed about 50 different breaching claims against HTC in the US, UK, Germany, and other parts of Europe. The rulings for many of these infringement suits were in Nokia's favor and HTC emerged as a big victim.

In December 2013, HTC took a big hit when the UK court granted Nokia a win and banned HTC One, the company’s flagship Android handset, because it infringed upon a European Patent held by Nokia related to mobile phone microchips. In fact, a number of HTC devices breach the same patent, including the HTC One, One Mini, One Max, 8S and Desire 601. These HTC handsets use a technology patented by Nokia patent ‘024 relating to Broadcom BCM4239, BCM4330, BCM4334, and Qualcomm WR1605 chips. These chips and the allied technology are designed to assist broadcast voice and text messaging used in almost every smartphone that is available in the market today.

Nokia requested an injunction on October 30, 2013 over EP No. 0998024. And despite of knowing that it is facing a claim for infringement of the Nokia patent, HTC launched HTC One smartphone. The court gave the company time to appeal its decision till December 6, 2013 with the risk of many of its devices disappearing from the shelves in UK. Luckily for HTC, the Court of Appeals granted a stay on the injunction against HTC's products. Nokia was not happy about this decision since they believed that HTC continues to benefit from unauthorized and uncompensated use of its innovations. Nokia is still fighting for financial compensation from HTC's infringement. If HTC One were to be banned, it would have been difficult for the Taiwanese manufacturer to survive such a hit.

Why I decided to chose a case from a few years ago: I used an HTC One myself in 2013, and overtime realized how it was losing relevance. I was trying to understand why this was the case because my experience with the phone was nothing but great. I thought I'd research a little bit and stumbled upon this case. I thought it was really interesting to read a case about two companies that were massive a few years ago battle it out as their importance continues to fade.

Week 5: The patent infringement cases surrounding Disney's MagicBand

What is the MagicBand?  This colorful wristband is an all-in-one device that effortlessly connects you to all the vacation choices made with My Disney Experience. MagicBand enables us to travel lighter throughout the vacation: It can be used to enter the parks, unlock Disney Resort hotel room and buy food and merchandise.

Disney vs. InCom: In April 2015, InCom hit Disney with a patent infringement lawsuit in California federal court, claiming Disney’s MagicBand uses patents that were developed by InCom years ago to help schools, colleges, universities and others keep track of attendance at events. InCom uses a RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) to recognize individuals and keep track of their attendance.  It was legally issued the rights to the three patents Disney is infringing in 2008, 2010 and 2013 respectively. The patents-in-suit are U.S. Patent Numbers 8,353,705, 7,336,185 and 7,812,779. Disney sells MagicBands at ~$13 per band and has sold upwards of 10 million of them, allegedly despite having been notified that the product is infringing InCom's patents. Thus, InCom claimed that Disney was willfully infringing on patents, like the VirnetX case we discussed two weeks ago. However, Disney said that InCom did not allege any facts to show that Disney knew the accused device would be used to infringe. When Disney motioned to toss the suit in August, there was push back from InCom asserting that the liability hinged on whether Disney knew about the patents-in-suit, which InCom claimed it did and Disney continued to assert that the company did not identify any entities that allegedly used the devices to directly infringe. The case is still under review. 

Disney vs. Positiontech: On February 22nd, the US company Positiontech alleged that Disney's MyMagic+ system  infringes on 2 patents secured by the company in 22005 and 2006. These patents cover positional information used by Disney to track the movement of visitors in the park, which Positiontech says infringes on their positional information management system that records transactions of users, such as time and location. The suit specifically points towards Disney’s FastPass feature, which lets customers reserve a time to go on a specific ride without spending a long time waiting in line. The suit says that Disney’s tracking system, which uses radio frequency identification technology (RFID) chips is the same as the positional information the patent Positiontech secured covers. 

The similarities between the two companies filing the suit is interesting to note, and I look forward to knowing what happens to these lawsuits. 

Week 3: Apple vs VirnetX - The Details

PATENT INFRINGEMENT CASE: APPLE VS. VIRNETX

The case is VirnetX Inc., et al. v. Apple Inc., No. 6:12-cv-00855.

For a general overview about the case, please visit my previous blog post. 

• The Lawsuit: In 2012, VirnetX, an Internet security software and technology company holding multiple patents, accused Apple of violating four of its patents, which mostly involve methods for real-time communications over the Internet. Apple allegedly used VirnetX's security tech in both FaceTime and iMessage. 
• VirnetX had previously purchased these patents from a company called Science Applications International Corporation.

• Initial Verdict: A jury found Apple guilty of violating the four patents, and ordered the company to pay VirnetX $368 million. 

• Verdict following Apple's appeal: However, Apple appealed and won on a technicality after VirnetX failed to prove that consumers were buying iPads and other gadgets because of the software that violated VirnetX's patents.The appeals court vacated the damages, and sent the case back to the East Texas District Court for a retrial.
• Apple even revised its iMessage, FaceTime and VPN software so that it avoids anything covered by VirnetX's patents.

• Retrial Verdict: Unfortunately for Apple, the new jury found Wednesday that Apple owed even more to VirnetX because it "willfully" violated the company's patents. On February 03, 2016, VirnetX won $625.6 Million Patent Infringement verdict against Apple in East Texas. This verdict also includes an award based on the jury's finding that Apple's modified VPN On Demand, iMessage and FaceTime services have continued to infringe VirnetX's patents.

• Post-verdict Reactions: 
• The law firm representing VirnetX has issued a statement, with attorney Jason Cassady saying "The jury saw what we have been saying all along: Apple has been infringing VirnetX's patented technology for years."
• Apple claimed that it is going to appeal and maintains that it "independently designed the technology over many years." I think that Apple isn't worried about paying the $625 million given that it made $216 billion in the fourth quarter, but is more likely interested in discouraging other would-be profiteers that might be tempted to file lawsuits of their own. 

Sources:

http://money.cnn.com/2016/02/04/technology/apple-patent-lawsuit-virnetx/

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/virnetx-wins-6256-million-patent-infringement-verdict-against-apple-in-east-texas-300214979.html

http://www.engadget.com/2016/02/03/apple-to-pay-virnetx-in-lawsuit/

Video: 

Week 3: Apple vs VirnetX- The Basics

APPLE VS VIRNETX

The Patent Infringement Case that costed Apple $626 million

What's the case? 

In 2012, VirnetX accused Apple of violating four of its patents, claiming that iMessage, FaceTime and other Apple software infringed on its patents. The final verdict on the case was released in February 2016. 

Who are the parties involved? 

Apple, as we all know it, is a multinational technology company most famously known for iPhones, iPads, and Macbooks. 

VirnetX is an Internet security software and technology company with patented technology for secure communications. VirnetX has been labeled a "patent troll" because it is a patent holding company and sells just a single product. It has just 14 employees and rents office space for $5,000 a month. The company makes money by licensing patents to other firms -- and by suing businesses that it believes has infringed on its intellectual property. It owns about 80 patents. 

What was the verdict?

VirnetX first won the lawsuit but then Apple appealed and the case went for a retrial. However, unfortunately for Apple, it lost the lawsuit and was asked to pay ~$626 million as it was found to have infringed on VirnetX's patents. 

Some interesting cases of VirnetX: 

• VirnetX first sued Apple in 2010 over the alleged use of virtual private network (VPN) patents in FaceTime video chats, and has been successful enough in court to wring hundreds of millions of dollars out of Apple. 
• It also settled out of court with Microsoft for $200 million in 2010 and filed another lawsuit against the company in 2015. 
• It also filed a lawsuit against Cisco last year, but lost the case. 

It is incredible to think that a company that does not provide any service or product makes millions of dollars through patent litigation! 

To know more about the details of the case, read my next blog post. Here's the video:

Week 2: My Favorite Invention!

For my second blogpost of the week, I am going to talk about my favorite invention from my new top ten inventions. And I have chosen...

THE INTERNET!

Please note that I am not saying that this is what I think is the most important invention, but this is my favorite. Certainly, the invention of mathematics and the sewer system (as mentioned by professor Lavian in class) are more important, but I chose the internet as my favorite in the way that I have witnessed it transform lives- mine and others. 

What is the Internet? 

I don't think the internet requires a formal introduction; you wouldn't be reading this if it weren't for the internet. However, I will provide the definition available on wikipedia: The Internet is the global system of interconnected mainframe, personal, and wireless computer networks that use the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to link billions of devices worldwide. It is a network of networks that consists of millions of various networks of local to global scope, linked by a broad array of electronic, wireless, and optical networking technologies. In short, it is incredible! 

My World before the Internet 

I have distinct memories of myself as a kid at a time where the internet wasn't a household phenomenon. My source of information and news was the newspaper, my textbooks, and my parents. If I was unsure of some information (let's say the meaning of a word), my best bet was to ask my teachers or go to the library. My source of electronic entertainment, similarly, was television, radio, music player, and if I were good, I could play video-games (CD-ROMs) on the computer. My "social network" was the friends I actually played with in person. It wasn't bad at all, but if I think about it now, I can't imagine myself looking through books to clarify a doubt. I would just "Google it". 

How it Changed the World (including mine) 

The internet transformed every aspect of our lives. It increased accessibility to information, knowledge, news, entertainment, people, goods, and services. We can now connect to old friends, pull up an article from 2003 with ease, find out the latest news in real-time, listen to any song at anytime, get items delivered at our door step, and so on. It simplified our life in many ways. It has the capability to reach out to the masses at virtually no cost. 

Why I Picked this as my Favorite 

As someone who is very passionate about creating technology that increases accessibility of healthcare in rural areas, I think the internet is the cheapest and the most sustainable way to do so. We can eliminate the need of an on-site doctor by sharing the reports/data of the patient via the internet, increasing the number of patients one doctor can cater to without being restricted to one location. I think such technologies can revolutionized how underprivileged people experience healthcare services, in addition to other services. 

Here's my video:

Week 2: Revisiting my Top Ten Inventions!

After reading everyone else's list (including the Professor's), I realized that I missed many inventions that are fundamental to the technological progress we are capable of making today. I still believe that my choices from the previous list are incredibly important, but I agree that there are some inventions that trump the ones I had chosen. To recap, these is my list from last week:

• Wheel 
• Internal Combustion Engine
• The Light Bulb
• Telephone
• Penicillin 
• Printing Press
• Spinning Wheel
• Computer 
• Compass 
• Internet 

Here is my new list: 

1. The Wheel 

How it changed the world: I decided to keep the wheel because it is inarguably the most important invention in the transportation sector. The wheel revolutionized the way early human beings travelled and transported goods from one place to another. The wheel was also used for domestic purposes, such as for irrigation, milling, and pottery making. From wheelchairs to airplanes, most mobility devices use the wheel, playing a pivotal role in the transportation revolution. 

2. Electric Light

How it changed the world: The invention of electric light bulb changed the world by illuminating the night and making it hospitable to a wide range of human activities, increasing quality and productivity. It proved to be a safer and more sustainable alternative to fire, oil lamps, and lanterns. Today, our world is filled with powered devices than we can plug in pretty much anywhere, and we have the electric light to thank for it.

3. Telephone

How it changed the world: The invention of the telephone was the first step towards making the world a more connected space. It increased the speed of communication, which led to the growth of many businesses as well as led to quick aid during disasters. We now have the smartphones, but it was the invention of the telephone that was the inception of all of it. 

4. Currency

How it changed the world: Before the invention/establishment of standardized coinage and currency, trade was undertaken via the barter system, which was faulty because there was no systematic way to measure the proportional worth of two things. Everything that we currently use is through economics of trade and it has been made possible through the invention and establishment of currency.

5. Mathematics

How it changed the world: Mathematics forms the foundation of all physical and engineering sciences, including computer science, electrical engineering, biomedical engineering, and so on. It is through the invention of mathematics that we are able to create better and faster technologies- everything from smart-devices to satellites.  

6. Sewer System

How it changed the world: Proper collection and safe, nuisance-free disposal of the liquid wastes of a community are legally recognized as a necessity in an urbanized, industrialized society, which is what the invention of the sewer system provided. It helps protect us from diseases through proper disposal of sewage containing pathogens and other harmful microorganisms, and is thus crucial to our health.

7. Printing Press

How it changed the world: The printing press was one of the key factors in the explosion of the Renaissance movement, historians say. Access to standard works of science, especially, stimulated and spread new ideas quicker than ever. The printing press became crucial in the dissemination of knowledge because works could now be replicated on a large scale.   

8. Penicillin

How it changed the world: T

he discovery of penicillin is revolutionary in the field of medicine: it has enabled physicians to treat formerly severe and life-threatening illnesses such as bacterial endocarditis, meningitis, pneumococcal pneumonia, gonorrhea and syphilis. Penicillin also helped reduce the number of deaths and amputations of troops during World War II.

9.  Computer

How it changed the world: The invention of the computer allowed us to calculate complex mathematical problems with ease, store a wide and large amounts of data, and allowed people to communicate through the internet. It also enabled us to create softwares/applications that improved and transformed every sector of the society-from transportation to medicine. 

10. Internet

How it changed the world: The invention of the internet transformed every aspect of our life- it increased accessibility to information and services and made the world a connected space. You wouldn't be reading this blog with it! 

Here is my video: