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Reuters reports that Taiwanese company Elan Microelectronics has issued a statement announcing the settlement of a patent infringement dispute with Apple regarding multi-touch technology. According to Elan, Apple has agreed to pay $5 million and the two companies will cross-license certain patents to avoid future issues related to the intellectual property in question.
Elan Microelectronics Corp, a Taiwanese touch design company, said on Thursday that Apple Inc will pay $5 million as part of a settlement in a patent infringement case.
The statement said the two companies would also exchange authorizations to use each other's patents.
The patent dispute between the two companies dates back to 2009, when Elan sued Apple over alleged infringement of a patent related to the detection of multiple-finger input as on the company's iOS devices, notebooks, and several accessories. Apple had also counter-sued Elan in 2009 in an attempt to gain leverage in the dispute.
Elan turned to the U.S. International Trade Commission in 2010, seeking a ban on imports of Apple's products, but the ITC ruled in Apple's favor last year.
Top Rated Comments
When will Google settle copying iOS?
I wish Apple sue the hell out of Google, they stole a whole operating system.
This is what makes all these small lawsuits a joke, Apple have had their iOS inside developers taken by Google in 2006 and all of a sudden, Android looked like iOS copy rather than Blackberry copy.
GO AFTER THE THIEVES APPLE - GOOGLE
Android before poaching Apple iOS employees 2006/early 2007:
Image (http://cdn2.mixrmedia.com/wp-uploads/ziggytek/blog/2010/07/android-prototype.jpg)
Android post poaching iOS employees:
Image (http://cdn2.mixrmedia.com/wp-uploads/ziggytek/blog/2010/07/android-iphone.jpg)
Please stop posting this over and over again. Just link to where you've made this point before.
How much would it cost for Google to settle with Apple for the theft of a rather **** copy of iOS?
You really have an axe to grind here. How does this affect you in any conceivable way?
Anyways, this is pocket change for Apple and glad they got things sorted out.
Scott Forstall: Uh yeah, just hang on a sec. I think I had a few mil on me when I went to get coffee this morning. *fishes around in his pocket* Ok, here's around 4. Bum the rest off Jony.
Tim Cook: k.
When will Google settle copying iOS?
The pictures that you posted don't show any similarity in the design at all. I think you are confused because Apple is suing _one_ manufacturer for _one_ tablet design that is too close to the iPad and conclude wrongly that _every_ Android device must be the copy of an Apple product. That is not the case.I wish Apple sue the hell out of Google, they stole a whole operating system.
What ever happened to "boy, have we patented it"?
Just because you have patents, even lots of patents, doesn't mean you aren't infringing on someone else's patents. And even if you aren't infringing, doesn't mean someone else can't sue you.And, while current Android phones may resemble the iPhone, that shot of the G1 looks nothing like an iPhone. What a ridiculous statement. First, it is white, iPhone was black only at that time. It has a track-ball and 5 separate buttons at the bottom. iPhone has 1 home button and no track-ball. The G1 is not flat, but actually angles out near the mouth piece. The iPhone is completely flat. The G1 has a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, iPhone does not. The G1 has a crowded menu bar (more like Windows Mobile if anything), not so with iPhone. There a huge widget (a clock) in middle of G1 screen, no widgets on iPhone. G1 has some kind of pop-up menu on screen, not so with iPhone (yet, ironically, iOS would add this later). And lastly, they both have folders/apps on the screen. What a novel concept for both of them there.
Absolutely correct. I'm not sure about the colour, but each single one of the other differences would be enough to make it different enough from the iPhone.Well, my buddy Small White Car has over a million shares in Apple for a start.
If Small White Car had over a million shares he'd be Fast Red Lamborghini.