Apple usually on the defensive when it comes to intellectual-property lawsuits, is threatening to use its hoard of patents to quash iPhone competitors.
Tim Cook, Apple’s chief operating officer, pledged in January to go after companies that copy the iPhone’s patented features. Apple won its latest patent Jan. 20 for so-called multitouch technology, which lets people work the iPhone by touching the screen with two fingers and making swiping motions.
Cook’s comments don’t mean Apple will actually seek a court order to stop the Pre, which is due for release in the next few months. Instead, the company may try to intimidate Palm and other rivals into working around its patents, forcing them to cut features or delay production.
Apple is turning the iPhone into its third main business, alongside the Macintosh computer and iPod. The company surpassed a goal of selling 10 million iPhones in 2008, and may sell 28 million units this year, according to Piper Jaffray & Co.
Posts Tagged ‘apple’
Apple May Try To Hinder Palm’s iPhone Challenger
Monday, February 2nd, 2009Papermaster Settlement: Apple Innovations May Require IBM’s OK
Wednesday, January 28th, 2009Mark Papermaster must check in with his old employer IBM if he believes he’s using IBM technology at Apple according to the terms of the settlement that was reached between him and IBM.
“To the extent that Mr. Papermaster has a question as to whether any information he intends to or may disclose or otherwise use in any way is IBM confidential information Mr. Papermaster will raise such question with IBM before any disclosure or use of that information,” Judge Kenneth Karas wrote in a consent order filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Manhattan.
What’s more, the settlement dictates that IBM, and only IBM, gets to decide if the techniques in question derive from its intellectual property, and its decisions are not subject to appeal — even to the court. IBM’s determination “shall be final and binding and not subject to review in any way,” Karas wrote.
Papermaster must also submit to IBM, on two occasions prior to Oct. 15, a declaration, written under penalty of perjury that states that he’s not using confidential IBM material in his role at Apple
Apple Settles Dispute Papermaster Starts April 24th
Tuesday, January 27th, 2009Mark Papermaster, the former IBM executive at the center of a legal battle, will begin work April 24 as Apple’s senior vice president of devices hardware engineering.
In an announcement, Apple said “the litigation between IBM and Mark Papermaster has been resolved.” The company said Papermaster would lead Apple’s iPhone and iPod development efforts.
Controversy surrounded the initial hiring of Mr. Papermaster by Apple from IBM, who said that Mr. Papermaster had access to trade secrets that would hurt IBM if Apple were to have access to them. IBM sued Mr. Papermaster to keep him from starting at Apple until after a one-year non-compete contract Mr. Papermaster had signed with IBM was complete.
Apple Reports Strong Quarter Despite Economy
Wednesday, January 21st, 2009Amid a deepening recession and an intensifying controversy over the health of its iconic chief executive, Apple reported strong first-quarter profits today that beat Wall Street’s expectation.
Reporting its first quarter financial results today, Apple said it sold a record 22.7 million iPods during the holiday quarter — a 3 percent increase compared to the same quarter last year. It also sold 4.363 million iPhones in the quarter, an 88 percent increase year-over-year, but down from 6.89 million units in the prior quarter. The company posted revenue of $10.17 billion and net quarterly profit of $1.61 billion, or $1.78 per diluted share, compared with revenue of $7.1 billion and net quarterly profit of $1.58 billion, or $1.76 per diluted share in Q1 2008. Sales of Other Music Related Products + Services were up 25% over the year-ago quarter, and up 22% from Q4 2008, to $1.011 billion total. That category includes iTunes Store sales, iPod services, and revenues from Apple and third-party iPod accessories. International sales accounted for 46 percent of the quarter’s revenue.
Apple Stores Price Matching
Wednesday, December 10th, 2008Apple retail stores will now price match any item that can be found more cheaply somewhere else. The price flexibility does come with some restrictions, including the customer supplying proof of the competitor’s pricing, the item being in stock and having the same model number. The policy also covers all products that Apple carries not just Macs, iPhones, and iPods things like hard drives, MacBook backpacks, and other accessories. This price matching only applies to authorized sellers of Apple products.