Apple countersues S3 Graphics in ongoing patent dispute

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Apple has returned fire with a patent-related lawsuit aimed at S3 Graphics, a maker of graphics technology for notebook and desktop computers that initially sued the Mac maker last year.



Specific details of Apple's complaint, filed this month in a U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California, remain unknown. Apple's complaint is classified in the courts as an "oversized document," which means it is not available for download.



Subsequent filings which are available reveal that Apple's lawsuit is related to patents, but does not indicate whether Apple is accusing S3 of patent violation, or is attempting to invalidate patents owned by the company.



The latter is a strong possibility, as S3 graphics struck first last May, when it filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission against Apple. S3's complaint accuses a number of Apple products, including the iPod touch, iPhone, iPad and MacBook computers, of infringing on patents it owns.



Cited in the original 2010 complaint from S3 are four patents:

U.S. Patent No. 7,043,087: Image processing system

U.S. Patent No. 6,775,417: Fixed-rate block-based image compression with inferred pixel values

U.S. Patent No. 6,683,978: Fixed-rate block-based image compression with inferred pixel values

U.S. Patent No. 6,658,146: Fixed-rate block-based image compression with inferred pixel values

S3's complaint with the ITC seeks to halt the importation and sale of all Apple products that are alleged to be infringing. The complaint also mentions products that are used in conjunction with the company's software development kit and other application-building tools.



S3 Graphics defines itself as "a leading provider of innovative graphics visualization technologies for the notebook and desktop markets." It sells embedded and integrated graphics solutions for both notebook and desktop computers. It is headquartered in Fremont, Calif.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 10
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member
    Well, it looks like we're finally getting back to the good old days of regular Apple news now.
  • Reply 2 of 10
    Time to buy S3. Done and done.
  • Reply 3 of 10
    ronboronbo Posts: 669member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post


    Time to buy S3. Done and done.



    The problem with that plan is that the guys at S3 still cash in. If Apple can invalidate their patents, I'm for that.
  • Reply 4 of 10
    801801 Posts: 271member
    Did they file this in East Texas?
  • Reply 5 of 10
    ronboronbo Posts: 669member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by 801 View Post


    Did they file this in East Texas?



    See paragraph 2.
  • Reply 6 of 10
    Quote:

    S3 Graphics defines itself as "a leading provider of innovative graphics visualization technologies for the notebook and desktop markets." It sells embedded and integrated graphics solutions for both notebook and desktop computers. It is headquartered in Fremont, Calif.



    That may have been true back in 1996 but they're far from widely used today with most cards being NVidia and ATI based. If anything S3 needs to go after those companies not Apple as it would be their graphics that would be infringing.
  • Reply 7 of 10
    At least S3 apparently makes something, as opposed to patent aggregators who accumulate portfolios of old patents hoping to sue them into profitability. I regard those guys with less respect than people who bid on abandoned storage lockers.
  • Reply 8 of 10
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Robin Huber View Post


    At least S3 apparently makes something, as opposed to patent aggregators who accumulate portfolios of old patents hoping to sue them into profitability. I regard those guys with less respect than people who bid on abandoned storage lockers.



    S3 exists as a subsidiary of VIA Technologies. They'd be DOA if VIA didn't step in due to their own need to have something in graphics.
  • Reply 9 of 10
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mdriftmeyer View Post


    S3 exists as a subsidiary of VIA Technologies. They'd be DOA if VIA didn't step in due to their own need to have something in graphics.



    but VIA DOES need something in graphics



    anyways, i agree that this is a much better case than most Apple cases.... as it wasn't filed in Texas... and it it from a company that MAKES STUFF (that use the patents)
  • Reply 10 of 10
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    S3's complaint accuses a number of Apple products, including the iPod touch, iPhone, iPad and MacBook computers, of infringing on patents it owns.



    S3's complaint with the ITC seeks to halt the importation and sale of all Apple products that are alleged to be infringing.



    Good luck with that.
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