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.
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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.
Top Rated Comments
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.
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.seriously a patent on a consealed antenna. the stupid thing if from 1995 I think we need patents but come on the is redicolus
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)
I hate generalized patents!
Oddly enough, this is the patent that seems to be upheld in Europe! These patents are just stupid and out of control!
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.