These are only cases outside the US. I believe this is because the rest of the world is relatively lax on protections for IP (the United States is one of few countries that have strong property protection laws...property protection is integral to our Constitution) and Apple taking Samsung to court would be a waste of time.
Not sure the rest of the world is relaxed on the IP. I can't speak for all the world but western europe is not relaxed. However, lawyers can't expect percentage of damages and damages are generally lower compared to US. Also, some of the patents and innovations granted in the US may not be granted in other countries. And so you won't find the same type of patent trolling in many other countries.
Samsung's smartphone business is hurting now. S5 is failing miserably. Tablet business is struggling. Smart watch... LOL, well, you know. And, Apple has been and will continue to source components away from Samsung as fast as possible without sacrificing quality. A8 and probably all future micros will move away from Samsung. This is hurting Samsung more than people realize. Apple HATES Samsung, and wants to end all business dealings with them. Samsung is a despicable company, and I for one (and hopefully hundreds of thousands more out there) will never buy another Samsung product.
That said, this is probably the time for Apple to settle with them. I suspect the agreement comes with a multi-billion dollar payment from Samsung, which Apple may as well get now before Samsung's smartphone business plummets more and the courts (with their very short memories) come in and say, "Apple, why beat up on Samsung? Can't you see that they are not doing well in the smartphone business?!?!? Be nice..." Nearly one out of every two smartphones in the US sold are iPhones. You can only be awarded by the courts to the extent that you are hurt by the company who is copying you - Apple is hardly hurting. So, settle with the loathing company now, get some money and hopefully a commitment by the thieves to STOP copying, source as much as possible away from them, continue to make awesome products, and call it a day. Sounds good to me.
This is possibly a step in the right direction to allowing Samsung to save face in some way. Pragmatically it likely affects Samsung agreeing not to keep going after Apple for standard essential patents, something that has proven to be entirely ineffective and increasingly viewed as illegal, if Apple doesn't pursue litigation on a small number of design copying claims it has against Samsung outside the US. Samsung is still going to have to pay up in the existing cases and will continue to get punished in US courts. The fact that this didn't result in a cross licensing agreement is a clear sign that this issue is far from over unless Samsung takes a different path towards owning up to its wrongdoings.
I don't think this shows any signs of "weakening" or lack of resolve by Apple. From the beginning Apple has always attempted to work this out mano-a-mano with Samsung's leaders. It's shocking that Samsung's leaders didn't take advantage of an opportunity to avoid public embarrassment and ridicule by altering their strategy early on. Perhaps Samsung felt emboldened by their success in the low end markets or by being a card carrying member of Club Android, backstopped and bankrolled by Google.
It was Samsung who refused to take the high road and accept Apple's offer to cut their losses and save face up front. In all likelihood Samsung had no Plan B and had so thoroughly copied Apple's designs that retooling and starting with their own original concepts was financially impossible. The high road path would have been to pursue licensing deals with Apple much like most of the Androiders did with Microsoft. Once Samsung refused to accept Apple's offers that would allow them to save face they went on what has been an entirely pathetic and childish counterattack. Samsung's counterclaims either had no merit or were fabricated by placing ridiculous licensing stipulations on Apple around standards essential patents. Samsung even purchased patents from other companies along the way in an an attempt to show up to the fight with at least a weapon in hand.
I hope that this agreement makes Samsung recognize that there is another path to pursue to righting a wrong that they inflicted upon Apple. Samsung is a company that is capable of doing many great things. They just need to grow up and stand on their own two feet and take the high road with respect to this matter. Apple has always tried to point them to the high road but they have obstinately refused to take the advice or their business partner, for reasons that are unbecoming of a mature, capable, and customer focused company. Samsung's real problems have nothing at all to do with Apple, they have everything to do with Samsung itself. Hopefully they will start to make the changes necessary to get their own ship in order before the rapidly awakening giant to their north crushes them.
Samsung's smartphone business is hurting now. S5 is failing miserably. Tablet business is struggling. Smart watch... LOL, well, you know. And, Apple has been and will continue to source components away from Samsung as fast as possible without sacrificing quality. A8 and probably all future micros will move away from Samsung. This is hurting Samsung more than people realize. Apple HATES Samsung, and wants to end all business dealings with them. Samsung is a despicable company, and I for one (and hopefully hundreds of thousands more out there) will never buy another Samsung product.
That said, this is probably the time for Apple to settle with them. I suspect the agreement comes with a multi-billion dollar payment from Samsung, which Apple may as well get now before Samsung's smartphone business plummets more and the courts (with their very short memories) come in and say, "Apple, why beat up on Samsung? Can't you see that they are not doing well in the smartphone business?!?!? Be nice..." Nearly one out of every two smartphones in the US sold are iPhones. You can only be awarded by the courts to the extent that you are hurt by the company who is copying you - Apple is hardly hurting. So, settle with the loathing company now, get some money and hopefully a commitment by the thieves to STOP copying, source as much as possible away from them, continue to make awesome products, and call it a day. Sounds good to me.
How is this possible? I just saw the pics of the new Samsung Alpha. It was such an obvious copy I started yelling at the computer screen.
It's a good thing everyone knows I am crazy.
I don't think anyone is going to mistake this for an iPhone. It allegedly has chamfered edges. So what? Apple didn't invent the chamfer and other phone manufacturers have used it (see HTC One (M7)).
If we want to talk about copying Apple right now the bigger rip off artist is Xiaomi. That's about as blatant as you can get.
That said, this is probably the time for Apple to settle with them. I suspect the agreement comes with a multi-billion dollar payment from Samsung
This was not announced as a licensing agreement so I seriously doubt any money is changing hands. It's simply a truce on new and existing litigation outside of the US. After the current appeals run their course here I expect a similar agreement for the US too.
It's been a mishmash of wins and losses so far and seemingly without end. There's also been harm done to the favorable reputation of both companies IMHO, tho Samsung got the worst of it. It may be that neither company sees any clear benefit to continuing court battles.
I would love to see an ad from Apple with the song Truce from The Dresden Dolls in the background. :-P "So take whatever you'd like I'll strike like the States on fire You won't sleep very tight No hiding No safe cover Make your bed and now lie Just like you always do You can fake it for the papers but Im on to you, Im on to you"
This was not announced as a licensing agreement so I seriously doubt any money is changing hands. It's simply a truce on new and existing litigation outside of the US. After the current appeals run their course here I expect a similar agreement for the US too.
It's been a mishmash of wins and losses so far and seemingly without end. There's also been harm done to the favorable reputation of both companies IMHO, tho Samsung got the worst of it. It may be that neither company sees any clear benefit to continuing court battles.
I posted something earlier about one of Apple's top interface designers (Bas Ording) leaving the company last year. One of the reasons was ongoing patent lawsuits. This guy was intimately involved in the user interface design of the iPhone. You don't want to see good people leave Apple because they feel like they're spending more time dealing with lawsuits than their job. My guess is most Apple employees will be happy about this. Apple made their statement, proved their point. We're now seeing with Samsung what all the copying really got them - which is basically not much. They don't have a real brand with loyal customers. And they don't have anything "sticky" to keep people buying their phones. I'm sure LG, and Xiaomi are stealing share from them and when Apple comes out with a larger phone there will be even more bleeding.
Are they the ones who make the Goophones? They've always seem like the biggest copy cats to me.
Here's a couple examples of Xiaomi's blatant copying. With their iPad mini-esque tablet they couldn't even bother to use different colors than the iPhone 5C. IMO this is much worse than anything Samsung ever did. But it would be difficult to go after them because they're Chinese and I believe so far their stuff isn't sold in the US.
Seriously? Apple is no longer a "Jobs" company. I would have preferred that Cook kept pushing and ensuring that the innovation is protected in the right way. Just my 2 cents!
Oh, I think Steve a jobs was about winning, and Apple under Tim Cook realizes that it's winning without taking further legal action. So Cook & Co have decided to avoid the distraction and just crush the competition in the marketplace.
Oh, I think Steve a jobs was about winning, and Apple under Tim Cook realizes that it's winning without taking further legal action. So Cook & Co have decided to avoid the distraction and just crush the competition in the marketplace.
Plus, this only concerns litigation outside the US.
I think this has more to due with the recent press announcement that Samsung made about future profit outlooks than anything else. They realize they are on the downward slide and if they do not repair things with Apple they are going to hit bottom hard. Apple was the largest purchaser of parts in the world and Samsung use to be the lion share of that business. Well that is all changing and Samsung had to decide what is more important. They seeing the whole Android play is not working in their favor thanks to what Google has done.
I don't think anyone is going to mistake this for an iPhone. It allegedly has chamfered edges. So what? Apple didn't invent the chamfer and other phone manufacturers have used it (see HTC One (M7)).
If we want to talk about copying Apple right now the bigger rip off artist is Xiaomi. That's about as blatant as you can get.
EVERY phone manufacturer has copied Apple after 2007.
Does anyone remember flip phones and sidekicks? I often feel like I'm in a room full of 7-year-olds or the extreme elderly with amnesia.
Apple should have sued the pants off google and everyone immediately in 2008. I've seen iPhoneys and fake iPads EVERYWHERE today. The world has turned into China. I'll be in Texas and feel like I'm Chinese.
Apple lost Billions to these fakers and made a behemoth out of scamsung.
I posted something earlier about one of Apple's top interface designers (Bas Ording) leaving the company last year. One of the reasons was ongoing patent lawsuits. This guy was intimately involved in the user interface design of the iPhone. You don't want to see good people leave Apple because they feel like they're spending more time dealing with lawsuits than their job. My guess is most Apple employees will be happy about this. Apple made their statement, proved their point. We're now seeing with Samsung what all the copying really got them - which is basically not much. They don't have a real brand with loyal customers. And they don't have anything "sticky" to keep people buying their phones. I'm sure LG, and Xiaomi are stealing share from them and when Apple comes out with a larger phone there will be even more bleeding.
Not much? BILLIONS of dollars.
Those Billions were Apple's.
Comments
Not sure the rest of the world is relaxed on the IP. I can't speak for all the world but western europe is not relaxed. However, lawyers can't expect percentage of damages and damages are generally lower compared to US. Also, some of the patents and innovations granted in the US may not be granted in other countries. And so you won't find the same type of patent trolling in many other countries.
Samsung's smartphone business is hurting now. S5 is failing miserably. Tablet business is struggling. Smart watch... LOL, well, you know. And, Apple has been and will continue to source components away from Samsung as fast as possible without sacrificing quality. A8 and probably all future micros will move away from Samsung. This is hurting Samsung more than people realize. Apple HATES Samsung, and wants to end all business dealings with them. Samsung is a despicable company, and I for one (and hopefully hundreds of thousands more out there) will never buy another Samsung product.
That said, this is probably the time for Apple to settle with them. I suspect the agreement comes with a multi-billion dollar payment from Samsung, which Apple may as well get now before Samsung's smartphone business plummets more and the courts (with their very short memories) come in and say, "Apple, why beat up on Samsung? Can't you see that they are not doing well in the smartphone business?!?!? Be nice..." Nearly one out of every two smartphones in the US sold are iPhones. You can only be awarded by the courts to the extent that you are hurt by the company who is copying you - Apple is hardly hurting. So, settle with the loathing company now, get some money and hopefully a commitment by the thieves to STOP copying, source as much as possible away from them, continue to make awesome products, and call it a day. Sounds good to me.
This is possibly a step in the right direction to allowing Samsung to save face in some way. Pragmatically it likely affects Samsung agreeing not to keep going after Apple for standard essential patents, something that has proven to be entirely ineffective and increasingly viewed as illegal, if Apple doesn't pursue litigation on a small number of design copying claims it has against Samsung outside the US. Samsung is still going to have to pay up in the existing cases and will continue to get punished in US courts. The fact that this didn't result in a cross licensing agreement is a clear sign that this issue is far from over unless Samsung takes a different path towards owning up to its wrongdoings.
I don't think this shows any signs of "weakening" or lack of resolve by Apple. From the beginning Apple has always attempted to work this out mano-a-mano with Samsung's leaders. It's shocking that Samsung's leaders didn't take advantage of an opportunity to avoid public embarrassment and ridicule by altering their strategy early on. Perhaps Samsung felt emboldened by their success in the low end markets or by being a card carrying member of Club Android, backstopped and bankrolled by Google.
It was Samsung who refused to take the high road and accept Apple's offer to cut their losses and save face up front. In all likelihood Samsung had no Plan B and had so thoroughly copied Apple's designs that retooling and starting with their own original concepts was financially impossible. The high road path would have been to pursue licensing deals with Apple much like most of the Androiders did with Microsoft. Once Samsung refused to accept Apple's offers that would allow them to save face they went on what has been an entirely pathetic and childish counterattack. Samsung's counterclaims either had no merit or were fabricated by placing ridiculous licensing stipulations on Apple around standards essential patents. Samsung even purchased patents from other companies along the way in an an attempt to show up to the fight with at least a weapon in hand.
I hope that this agreement makes Samsung recognize that there is another path to pursue to righting a wrong that they inflicted upon Apple. Samsung is a company that is capable of doing many great things. They just need to grow up and stand on their own two feet and take the high road with respect to this matter. Apple has always tried to point them to the high road but they have obstinately refused to take the advice or their business partner, for reasons that are unbecoming of a mature, capable, and customer focused company. Samsung's real problems have nothing at all to do with Apple, they have everything to do with Samsung itself. Hopefully they will start to make the changes necessary to get their own ship in order before the rapidly awakening giant to their north crushes them.
Samsung's smartphone business is hurting now. S5 is failing miserably. Tablet business is struggling. Smart watch... LOL, well, you know. And, Apple has been and will continue to source components away from Samsung as fast as possible without sacrificing quality. A8 and probably all future micros will move away from Samsung. This is hurting Samsung more than people realize. Apple HATES Samsung, and wants to end all business dealings with them. Samsung is a despicable company, and I for one (and hopefully hundreds of thousands more out there) will never buy another Samsung product.
That said, this is probably the time for Apple to settle with them. I suspect the agreement comes with a multi-billion dollar payment from Samsung, which Apple may as well get now before Samsung's smartphone business plummets more and the courts (with their very short memories) come in and say, "Apple, why beat up on Samsung? Can't you see that they are not doing well in the smartphone business?!?!? Be nice..." Nearly one out of every two smartphones in the US sold are iPhones. You can only be awarded by the courts to the extent that you are hurt by the company who is copying you - Apple is hardly hurting. So, settle with the loathing company now, get some money and hopefully a commitment by the thieves to STOP copying, source as much as possible away from them, continue to make awesome products, and call it a day. Sounds good to me.
I don't think anyone is going to mistake this for an iPhone. It allegedly has chamfered edges. So what? Apple didn't invent the chamfer and other phone manufacturers have used it (see HTC One (M7)).
If we want to talk about copying Apple right now the bigger rip off artist is Xiaomi. That's about as blatant as you can get.
This was not announced as a licensing agreement so I seriously doubt any money is changing hands. It's simply a truce on new and existing litigation outside of the US. After the current appeals run their course here I expect a similar agreement for the US too.
It's been a mishmash of wins and losses so far and seemingly without end. There's also been harm done to the favorable reputation of both companies IMHO, tho Samsung got the worst of it. It may be that neither company sees any clear benefit to continuing court battles.
If we want to talk about copying Apple right now the bigger rip off artist is Xiaomi. That's about as blatant as you can get.
Are they the ones who make the Goophones? They've always seem like the biggest copy cats to me.
"So take whatever you'd like
I'll strike like the States on fire
You won't sleep very tight
No hiding
No safe cover
Make your bed and now lie
Just like you always do
You can fake it for the papers but Im on to you, Im on to you"
I posted something earlier about one of Apple's top interface designers (Bas Ording) leaving the company last year. One of the reasons was ongoing patent lawsuits. This guy was intimately involved in the user interface design of the iPhone. You don't want to see good people leave Apple because they feel like they're spending more time dealing with lawsuits than their job. My guess is most Apple employees will be happy about this. Apple made their statement, proved their point. We're now seeing with Samsung what all the copying really got them - which is basically not much. They don't have a real brand with loyal customers. And they don't have anything "sticky" to keep people buying their phones. I'm sure LG, and Xiaomi are stealing share from them and when Apple comes out with a larger phone there will be even more bleeding.
Here's a couple examples of Xiaomi's blatant copying. With their iPad mini-esque tablet they couldn't even bother to use different colors than the iPhone 5C. IMO this is much worse than anything Samsung ever did. But it would be difficult to go after them because they're Chinese and I believe so far their stuff isn't sold in the US.
Oh, I think Steve a jobs was about winning, and Apple under Tim Cook realizes that it's winning without taking further legal action. So Cook & Co have decided to avoid the distraction and just crush the competition in the marketplace.
Plus, this only concerns litigation outside the US.
I think this has more to due with the recent press announcement that Samsung made about future profit outlooks than anything else. They realize they are on the downward slide and if they do not repair things with Apple they are going to hit bottom hard. Apple was the largest purchaser of parts in the world and Samsung use to be the lion share of that business. Well that is all changing and Samsung had to decide what is more important. They seeing the whole Android play is not working in their favor thanks to what Google has done.
EVERY phone manufacturer has copied Apple after 2007.
Does anyone remember flip phones and sidekicks? I often feel like I'm in a room full of 7-year-olds or the extreme elderly with amnesia.
Apple should have sued the pants off google and everyone immediately in 2008. I've seen iPhoneys and fake iPads EVERYWHERE today. The world has turned into China. I'll be in Texas and feel like I'm Chinese.
Apple lost Billions to these fakers and made a behemoth out of scamsung.
Not much? BILLIONS of dollars.
Those Billions were Apple's.
But what are they going to "Bass" the arguments on?
Avoiding treble damages in infringement cases?:D
Ooh, I’ve had to do that before. And people wonder why I want the Norks to step up their game.
It’s amazing what people with supposedly working memories will forget.
Nork & Nindy?
????
Called it.