Tuesday 01 November 2011

Samsung Wants iPhone 4S Source Code    [ 01-11-2011 22:26 ]

Author: Ivanov Konstantin   Source: ZDNet     Translation by: Paul Smith     

The war between Apple and Samsung rages ever on with Samsung pressing ahead with its demands for Apple to provide them with the source code for the iPhone 4S firmware. The demand for the source code is part of the overall lawsuit the two companies are fighting and Samsung believes that accessing the iPhone 4S source code can help them prove that Apple is infringing upon Samsung patents and thus the device should be banned from sale in Australia, where the lawsuit is being fought.

Speaking about the firmware, Samsung's counsel Cyntia Cochrane said:

Based on the accompanying firmware, [an expert] can tell how the chips are working in the phones. To form a final view on whether patent 621 is infringed, [an expert] needs to see the documents that set out the source code for that firmware.

Samsung is also demanding that Apple provide it with details of its subsidy agreements with Australian networks. The argument there is that Samsung has fewer subsidies available to its own handsets if subsidies are being given to the iPhone 4S.

So far Samsung hasn't had much success in its legal wrangles with Apple winning pretty much every battle, including having the Galaxy Tab 10.1 banned from sale in Australia. No doubt Samsung will be hoping to score a victory soon to try and even the odds and perhaps reach some sort of settlement.

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Microsoft: Android Lawsuits Help To End Patent War    [ 01-11-2011 20:06 ]

Author: Irina Turina   Source: San Francisco Chronicle     Translation by: Paul Smith     

Microsoft's deputy general counsel, Horacio Gutierrez, has been defending the company's practice of suing those who it claims have violated its patents in Android devices. Gutierrez is of the opinion that Microsoft shouldn't be regarded as a patent troll for its actions, such as suing Samsung, HTC, et al. Furthermore he says that the present system governing patents isn't broken. That last comment may surprise some, but Gutierrez followed it up by saying:

Every time there are these technologies that are really disruptive, there are patent cases. Licensing is not some nefarious thing that people should be worried about. Licensing is, in fact, the solution to the patent problem that people are reactive [sic] so negatively about.

In short Microsoft sees its actions as bringing about an end to the patent war that is increasingly spiraling every larger. To be fair Microsoft has reached agreements with the likes of HTC avoiding long drawn out court battles as has been the case with Apple and Samsung, but even so Microsoft's strategy can't be viewed as being either altruistic or benign. Their own mobile platform, Windows Phone, isn't tearing up the asphalt and with Android proving so successful licensing agreements are still bringing in dollars for Microsoft.

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Acer Chairman Says Windows 8 Will Give Microsoft Its Mojo Back    [ 01-11-2011 19:44 ]

Author: Serge Novikov   Source: DigiTimes     Translation by: Paul Smith     

Acer CEO J.T. Wang has been making some big noises about the forthcoming Windows 8, describing it as being the force to reverse Microsoft's declining mindshare. Microsoft does still control a whopping 91.86% share of the blobal OS market, which puts everyone else in the shade. Second placed Apple only manages to muster up 6.94%. Even though it has a near total control of the market Microsoft has, for many years, been increasingly seen as 'uncool' or 'out of touch' with ordinary users.

Wang met those charges head on by saying that Microsoft have been focusing on consumer requirements with Windows 8 rather than 'unnecessary functions'. That should probably be taken to mean that Microsoft has learned from the train wreck that was Vista, but also perhaps that they have been casting an eye on competitors' efforts. Whatever the case may be we have until late 2012 to find out.

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