A lawsuit almost stalled NASA’s Cassini mission

Captain Scott Kelly wasn't kidding when he famously quipped that "space is hard". Even getting to the launch pad can prove to be a daunting challenge. Take the Cassini mission to study Saturn, for example. Despite an investment of $3.4 billion and ne...

Fujitsu and Acacia resolve patent disputes with settlement, keep it out of the courts

Fujitsu and Acacia resolve patent disputes with settlement, keep it out of the courtsFujitsu's bank balance may be a little lighter today, since Acacia Research Corp. has reported that subsidiaries of both companies have signed a settlement deal over patent disputes. As usual, Acacia is keeping tight-lipped about exactly what the patents cover, but a little digging on our part has revealed they are related to flash memory and RAM technologies. The agreement resolves lawsuits in the works at district courts in Texas and California, which is probably a good thing. After all, these cases can get pretty messy when they go to court.

Continue reading Fujitsu and Acacia resolve patent disputes with settlement, keep it out of the courts

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Fujitsu and Acacia resolve patent disputes with settlement, keep it out of the courts originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Aug 2012 10:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Judge dismisses Apple vs. Motorola in its entirety, companies unable to prove damages

Judge dismisses Apple vs. Motorola in its entirety, companies unable to prove damages

After tentatively shutting down (and reviving) Apple and Motorola's legal spat, Judge Richard Posner has put the lid on the case once and for all, dismissing it in its entirety this evening. Neither company was able to satisfy the Judge's call for proof of damages, causing him to dismiss the case and block both firms from refiling claims. "It would be ridiculous to dismiss a suit for failure to prove damages and allow the plaintiff to refile the suit so that he could have a second chance to prove damages." Posner said, "This case is therefore dismissed with prejudice; a separate order to that effect is being entered today." Posner's dismissal with prejudice means that Apple and Motorola's claims cannot be brought before the court again. Guess they'll have to find something else to fight over, eh? Check out the Judge's full opinion after the break.

Continue reading Judge dismisses Apple vs. Motorola in its entirety, companies unable to prove damages

Judge dismisses Apple vs. Motorola in its entirety, companies unable to prove damages originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Jun 2012 20:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceThe Verge  | Email this | Comments

Google to pay $0 in damages to Oracle, wait for appeal

Google to pay $0 in damages to Oracle, wait for appeal

After watching Judge Alsup strike down its patent and Java API infringement claims, Oracle seems to be cutting its losses, agreeing to accept $0 in damages from Google. Confused? So was the Judge, who reportedly responded to the proposal by asking, "is there a catch I need to be aware of?" No catch, but Oracle isn't giving up, stating that it's taking its case to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. If successful, the appeal could put the two firms back in Alsup's courtroom, perhaps asking for somewhere between the previously proposed $32.3 million and today's sum total of zilch. We'll let you know when the drama comes around again.

Google to pay $0 in damages to Oracle, wait for appeal originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Jun 2012 22:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Judge puts the kibosh on one Apple vs. Motorola patent trial (maybe, tune in next week)

Judge puts the kibosh on one Apple vs. Motorola patent trial (maybe, tune in next week)

In an (all too rare, if you ask us) occurrence, US Circuit Judge Richard A. Posner has tentatively decided to dismiss an Apple patent infringement case against Motorola. Both sides were seeking damages in the case, and the decision to dismiss it "with prejudice" would mean neither side could refile these claims again. According to his ruling in U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, neither side could credibly establish its damages so he's putting a stop to things before it ever goes in front of a jury. That said, he will issue a more in depth ruling next week and noted that he could still change his mind. For our sanity alone we hope he does not, although it ultimately won't matter much with so many other smartphone patent lawsuits involving these companies filling up dockets in courts around the globe.

Judge puts the kibosh on one Apple vs. Motorola patent trial (maybe, tune in next week) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jun 2012 21:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jury issues verdict in Android suit, finds that Google doesn’t infringe Oracle patents

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It appears that the jury has come to a conclusion in the Oracle v. Google trial, determining that Android does not infringe Oracle patents. Judge William Alsup of the US District Court for Northern California exonerated the search giant following a trial that lasted three weeks, ruling that Google did not infringe on six claims in US Patent RE38,104, along two claims in US Patent 6,061,520. Jurors were dismissed following today's ruling, with the trial's damages phase reportedly set to begin on Tuesday. According to The Verge, the jury did determine that Google was responsible for two counts of minor copyright infringement, relating to the order of Java APIs and several lines of rangeCheck code, which could be matched with a maximum penalty of $150,000 for each count. Regardless, it appears that the lawsuit, which dates back to 2010, when Oracle filed against Google for copyright and patent infringement related to Sun's Java code, could finally be coming to a close.

Jury issues verdict in Android suit, finds that Google doesn't infringe Oracle patents originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 May 2012 14:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink The Verge, CNET  |  sourceUS District Court  | Email this | Comments