Microsoft, Intel, Oracle & AT&T come to Apple's defense in looming iPhone 4 ban

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
High stakes in an impending iPhone 4 ban by the International Trade Commission have created some unlikely bedfellows, with a trade group representing Microsoft coming to the defense of rival Apple.

ITC


Microsoft is part of BSA, which also represents Oracle and Intel. The group has argued that the use of standard-essential patents to ban products should not be allowed, except under unusual circumstances, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.

Those companies are also joined by AT&T, which was cited in Apple's legal papers as saying that the ITC's ban, set to go into effect Aug. 4, is "inconsistent with the president's goal of ubiquitous broadband deployment."

Verizon also appealed to President Barack Obama in an open letter last week, asking the administration to intervene in Apple v. Samsung and prevent the looming ban. Verizon's support comes in spite of the fact that the ban will only affect the iPhone 4 variant that runs on AT&T and T-Mobile networks.

The president has not intervened in an ITC ban since 1987, but the ruling against Apple has a number of officials calling for something to be done. Monday's report cited people familiar with the matter saying that antitrust officials from the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission are also weighing in on the ruling.

U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman is also "conducting a careful and balanced review process of the ITC decision," the agency said in a statement.

Apple believes that Samsung shouldn't be able to block iPhone or iPad sales because the company isn't licensing its standard essential patents under fair, reasonable and nondiscriminatory terms, or FRAND. The iPhone maker has argued that a product ban could give Samsung the clout to extract high patent royalties from rival companies.

The ITC ruled in June that the AT&T versions of Apple's iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G all infringe on patents owned by Samsung, and that the devices must be banned from sale by early August. Apple has filed a stay in opposition, arguing the ban would "sweep away an entire segment of Apple's product offerings" and negatively impact its carrier partners.
«13

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 42
    technotechno Posts: 737member
    the root of all evil is found in lawyers!
  • Reply 2 of 42
    rot'napplerot'napple Posts: 1,839member
    Talk about your four horsemen...
  • Reply 3 of 42
    socratessocrates Posts: 261member
    "could give Samsung the _cloud_ to extract high patent royalties"

    lol
  • Reply 4 of 42
    icoco3icoco3 Posts: 1,474member


    Easy to fix the whole mess.  When something is licensed under FRAND, it should be decided up front the royalty fee and trigger point where the royalty is due.  No more arguing after that.

     

  • Reply 5 of 42
    chandra69chandra69 Posts: 638member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by techno View Post



    the root of all evil is found in lawyers!


    How?

  • Reply 6 of 42
    jameskatt2jameskatt2 Posts: 720member
    That judge should be put to trial and be banned for life. He is an idiot.
  • Reply 7 of 42
    herbapouherbapou Posts: 2,228member


    That ban would make a horrible example indeed.  That thing needs to be block.


    That being said, I hope that Apple will paid its FRAND to Samsung at some point, The amount should be set by a third party imo.

  • Reply 8 of 42
    nikiloknikilok Posts: 383member
    I dont think Apple's bothered if the iphone 4 were banned.
    It's 2 generations behind, and quite frankly it wouldn't matter.
    5S is almost out in a few months, by when iphone 4 would have been history.
  • Reply 9 of 42
    johnljohnl Posts: 9member
    I love how people hate on Apple for protecting their IP, but Samesung gets a pass every time for going after standards based patents. Who's the evil one here?

    People need to remove their hypocritical glasses and start asking themselves why its suddenly cool to support a S. Korean company over one right here in the US that is only trying to make sure people don't blatantly copy their products.

    I realize product is made overseas, but all the real work is done here in the US. People in this country should be supporting Apple whether they buy the product or not. I don't see a lot of people from other countries hating on Apple like our own. Sad.
  • Reply 10 of 42


    A lawyer i worked with told me this - "its in the best interest of the law firm to tell the client how a case may end up - but if a client has principals then they have to PAY for those principals!"


     


    and with Verizon, att and microsoft etc, that brings  a WHOLE new meaning to "the enemy of my enemy is my friend!" ?!?

  • Reply 11 of 42
    jetzjetz Posts: 1,293member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jameskatt2 View Post

    That judge should be put to trial and be banned for life. He is an idiot.

     

    When judges ban Samsung products they are geniuses who know the law. When they ban Apple products they are idiots?

    Care to tell us what the actual legal error was in his ruling.
  • Reply 12 of 42
    ksecksec Posts: 1,569member
    So the Americans, namely Google and Microsoft as well as Verizon and AT&T ( because they dont want the market be totally controlled by Apple ) Brought Samsung to their Home turf, Helped it and make it big. Then all of a sudden the same company who brought him in also fight against the FRAND case with Apple.

    Another Great Example NO FRIENDS, NO ENEMIES, JUST INTERESTS.

    And since an Cheaper iPhone coming out, like what other have said i dont think Apple would be bothered at all.
  • Reply 13 of 42
    clayderclayder Posts: 16member
    Interesting, aren't these the combined owners of the Nortel LTE patent portfolio? Samsung is playing with fire.
  • Reply 14 of 42
    netroxnetrox Posts: 1,415member
    that may explain why Apple is going to sell low cost iPhone 5C to avoid that legal issue?
  • Reply 15 of 42
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    nikilok wrote: »
    I dont think Apple's bothered if the iphone 4 were banned.
    It's 2 generations behind, and quite frankly it wouldn't matter.
    5S is almost out in a few months, by when iPhone 4 would have been history.

    Of course it matters. Age has nothing to do with it. If a ruling is totally wrong, it's totally wrong.

    And, completely separate from the primary issue at hand, if Apple decides it's "okay" that an old model is banned and nothing else, then Samsung gets away with having their old, useless models banned and nothing else, too.

    EDIT: Why the heck does everyone seem okay with this? "They're not selling it anymore, therefore it's fine" is the opposite of what we should be saying.
  • Reply 16 of 42
    mactelmactel Posts: 1,275member


    All is fair in business.  Apple won't be selling the iPhone 4 after September's iPhone refresh anyway.  

  • Reply 17 of 42
    Apple has filed a stay in opposition, arguing the ban would "sweep away an entire segment of Apple's product offerings" and negatively impact its carrier partners.

    I see it as clearing away the JUNK or Substandard phones.lol


    APPLE SUCKS..........

    Android beats apple in every way.

    Apple has limited hardware and apple drones to dumb to demand more for there money.

    If apple had a clue they would adapt to the new phone/tablet world.

    Apple will die out like microsoft phones did.

    apple = outdated hardware limited choices.

    Android = the future of tech.
  • Reply 18 of 42
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    jtaylor13 wrote:
    [post]

    Why you useless, pathetic imbeciles have nothing better to do than be complete tossers on Apple websites will ever elude me.

    But knowing that you're so unimaginably stupid and insecure about your own product decisions, an aspect of your lives that is meaningless in the grand scheme of things, that you have to get your kicks doing this makes me feel a heck of a lot better about myself. Doesn't do it all the way, but every little bit helps.

    So thanks, morons. Thanks for showing me how much better I am than a fair portion of the human race.
  • Reply 19 of 42
    dnd0psdnd0ps Posts: 253member

    Quote:



    Apple has filed a stay in opposition, arguing the ban would "sweep away an entire segment of Apple's product offerings" and negatively impact its carrier partners.



    I see it as clearing away the JUNK or Substandard phones.lol





    APPLE SUCKS..........



    Android beats apple in every way.



    Apple has limited hardware and apple drones to dumb to demand more for there money.



    If apple had a clue they would adapt to the new phone/tablet world.



    Apple will die out like microsoft phones did.



    apple = outdated hardware limited choices.



    Android = the future of tech.









     





    Yes, APPLE IS DOOMED!!!


     


    2 posts in 3 years? srsly??

  • Reply 20 of 42


    Whose government is this!?

Sign In or Register to comment.