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Google Signs Off on Motorola Lawsuit Seeking Injunction Against iPhone 4S and iCloud

Wednesday January 25, 2012 12:47 pm PST by Jordan Golson
Motorola Mobility has filed a new lawsuit in the Southern District of Florida against Apple, asserting six patents against the iPhone 4S and iCloud. As noted by FOSS Patents, the merger agreement between Google and Motorola Mobility requires the company to get Google's permission before asserting "any Intellectual Property Right in any new Action". As a result, this lawsuit is the closest Apple and Google have come to direct litigation.


All six patents are asserted against the iPhone 4S, with four ('119, '006, '531, and '161) asserted against iCloud. The patents Apple is charged with violating, as assembled by FOSS Patents, are:

U.S. Patent No. 5,710,987 on a "receiver having concealed external antenna"

U.S. Patent No. 5,754,119 on a "multiple pager status synchronization system and method"; Motorola is asserting the European equivalent of this patent against Apple in Mannheim, with a decision (that will likely be favorable for Motorola) scheduled for Friday of next week (February 3, 2012)

U.S. Patent No. 5,958,006 on a "method and apparatus for communicating summarized data"

U.S. Patent No. 6,101,531 on a "system for communicating user-selected criteria filter prepared at wireless client to communication server for filtering data transferred from host to said wireless client"

U.S. Patent No. 6,008,737 on an "apparatus for controlling utilization of software added to a portable communication device"

U.S. Patent No. 6,377,161 on a "method and apparatus in a wireless messaging system for facilitating an exchange of address information"

On its face, the lawsuit is fairly unexceptional -- one of many lawsuits flying around the mobile sector -- but as Google needed to sign off before it could be filed, it could be a signal of the direction Google intends to head if its proposed acquisition of Motorola Mobility is successful.
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polaris20
Posted: 4 weeks ago

Just out of curiosity, why does your user agent string say you posted from an iPhone using iOS 5.0.1 while you are claiming to be posting from a Droid Incredible?


Probably because he's trolling.
Rating: 14 Positives / 0 Negatives
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charlituna
Posted: 4 weeks ago
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seriously a patent on a consealed antenna. the stupid thing if from 1995 I think we need patents but come on the is redicolus


At that point in time having a conceal antenna was new and novel. Now it is common place. So Apple might be able to get the patent invalidated on the grounds of that common place notion, plus has Motorola sued every company that has such an antenna or just suddenly now (yes sometimes the 'honey badger' is a valid defense in a patent case) and can Apple argue that concealing the antenna is just a natural step in the evolution.

Same with notions in the other patents. Motorola is also suing over a patent that they claim is being used in iCloud. is it the idea or the actual tech that is the same. is anyone else using the same idea and were they sued for violating the same patent. Is this idea the natural evolution of some prior idea? Going with this, did iTools, dotmac or MobileMe use the same idea/tech and did Motorola file a suit over that. Was this patent before or after those services (which iCloud could be said to have been derived from)
Rating: 6 Positives / 0 Negatives
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TMar
Posted: 4 weeks ago
Just think what the world would be like it Ford patented 4 door cars, car trunks, four wheels on a horseless carriage and the steering wheel. It would be the five wheel three door volt!

I hate generalized patents!
Rating: 9 Positives / 3 Negatives
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CylonGlitch
Posted: 4 weeks ago
This one "5,754,119" boggles my mind how it could ever be allowed. First off it talks specifically and only about pagers. We aren't using pagers here. But I can see where they say that the phone uses pager type features to communicate the user status (such as if they are online, or if they are busy, etc). That, I guess is a reasonable assumption to make. But wait, this patent was filed in 1995; wasn't this same functionality already done via IRC that has been around since 1988? Why yes, it has. So how the heck could someone patent it after it was already invented and in use by someone else?

Oddly enough, this is the patent that seems to be upheld in Europe! These patents are just stupid and out of control!
Rating: 7 Positives / 2 Negatives
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X5-452
Posted: 4 weeks ago
I have a feeling that the only people who will lose during all these lawsuits are us - the users.
Rating: 6 Positives / 1 Negatives
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aristotle
Posted: 4 weeks ago
These patents are ridiculous. The iPhone 4 and 4S antenna is not concealed, it is on OUTSIDE of the phone.

I have to laugh at all of the down voting of comments on here by lurking fandroids. I also find it amusing that I can see the usual suspects posting here in support of Motorola. They also happen to be largely on my ignore list.

They either work for Google or are paid to post on here by Google.
Rating: 7 Positives / 3 Negatives
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BaldiMac
Posted: 4 weeks ago

I see it as some one making stuff up.
The most likely thing was Apple wanted Google on its BOX to keep an eye on them and try to steal stuff from the android project.


Speaking of making stuff up.
Rating: 7 Positives / 3 Negatives
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ravenvii
Posted: 4 weeks ago

Just think what the world would be like it Ford patented 4 door cars, car trunks, four wheels on a horseless carriage and the steering wheel. It would be the five wheel three door volt!

I hate generalized patents!


Not *that* much different. The patents would expire ~1935 and it'll be all smooth sailing onwards.
Rating: 4 Positives / 0 Negatives
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KnightWRX
Posted: 4 weeks ago

Apple has a file that establishes without doubt Google promised, and breached, an agreement not to compete with Apple in fields their CEO was privy to at BOD meetings.


Where the hell did you get that silly idea from ? :confused:

We're going to need a citation here.
Rating: 5 Positives / 2 Negatives
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DakotaGuy
Posted: 4 weeks ago

Can you explain why there is illegal collusion?

And you know that someone can have products from different companies, don't you?

I can have an iaphone and a windows PC or I can have a MacBook and an Android phone. The wonderful world of choice


Count me as another person who enjoys different products from different companies. I really enjoy my iPad, but I decided to get a Droid RAZR for a phone so I could enjoy what both platforms have to offer. My phone doesn't have to be exactly the same as my tablet. I also have a Windows 7 notebook supplied by my work, but an iMac at home. I enjoy using different technology and although I prefer my iMac slightly over my Windows 7 PC each have their own strengths and weaknesses. Just because a person doesn't have everything Apple doesn't mean they can't be a fan of Apple or post on this site.
Rating: 1 Positives / 0 Negatives

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