Apple vs. Samsung: remarkable day for Apple

In a much awaited judgment that has been a landmark one in the IP realm, to be precise, patent realm, the US court jury has ordered Samsung to pay Apple $1.05 billion. There is a room for appeal against the judgment.

Giving brief insights of the case, Apple Inc. filed its patent infringement lawsuit against Samsung Electronics Co., in April 2011, claiming $2.5 billion. Samsung Electronics Co. fired back with its own lawsuit seeking $399 million.

In its verdict, the US court jury in California rejected all Samsung's claims against Apple. However, the jurors also decided against some of Apple's claims involving the two dozen Samsung devices at issue, declining to award the full $2.5 billion Apple demanded.

The U.S. trial was the latest skirmish between the two tech giants as they have filed similar lawsuits in eight other countries, including South Korea, Germany, Japan, Italy, the Netherlands, Britain, France and Australia.

In the home court ruling, Samsung won global patent battle against Apple as judges in a Seoul court held that Samsung didn't copy the look and feel of the iPhone and ruled that Apple infringed on Samsung's wireless technology. But they also held that Samsung had violated Apple's technology behind the feature that causes a screen to bounce back when a user scrolls to an end image. Both sides were ordered to pay limited damages.

Before the US Court's verdict against it, Samsung had also lost previously in European court, where judges ruled that Samsung patents were part of industry standards that must be licensed under fair terms to competitors.

News Source

Trademark Infringement Suit over Kyuss Lives ! decided

In a trademark infringement lawsuit filed by former Kyuss guitarist Josh Homme and bassist Scott Reeder against their ex-bandmates, vocalist John Garcia and drummer Brant Bjork, involving the use of the latter pair's current incarnation, Kyuss Lives !, judge S. James Otero of the United States District Court Central District of California has given the verdict on 20^th of this month. According to the judgment, Kyuss Lives ! has been allowed to the Defendants to be used as a signature for live performances, but not for recordings.

"The court will issue a preliminary injunction prohibiting defendants from using the Kyuss mark in any capacity unless the word 'Lives' follows the word 'Kyuss' in equally-prominent lettering," says the verdict.

In his statement, Bjork previously claimed that Homme and Reeder had only trademarked the Kyuss name after Bjork had left the band in 1993, thus giving rise to issue as to whether the pair can be held liable for stealing the title.          

News Source

Apple vs. Samsung: Trial to be over soon.

The most popular and most complex patent lawsuit between two giants, is about to be over. Apple and Samsung both have finished presenting evidence in the patent infringement trial, involving the technology in each company’s smart-phones and tablet computers.

Both sides seem to be submitting closing arguments on 21^st August, before the jury in U.S. District Court in San Jose begins its deliberations the next day. On 17^th of this month, which was the last day of testimony, both sides presented rebuttal witnesses to reinforce their sides. 

News Source