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AAPL Stock: 497.67 ( -11.79 )

Apple licenses UI tech as part of settlement

updated 11:55 am EDT, Fri June 15, 2007

Apple licenses UI


Settling a patent dispute that was brewing in the District Court for the Eastern District of Texas with respect to certain, unnamed Apple products, Acacia Research has announced that Apple will now license specific GUI technology from its IP Innovation subsidiary. Though neither Acacia nor Apple is disclosing precisely what technology was licensed, Acacia controls 71 patent portfolios covering technologies in varying areas like audio/video enhancement and synchronization, broadcast data retrieval, data encryption and product activation, digital media transmission (DMT), digital video production, interactive data sharing, interactive television and more.

Acacia previously put several universities on notice for purported violation of digital media transmission patents, for which the schools had to pay wide-ranging licensing fees to continue usage.


by MacNN Staff

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  1. Ben Lawson

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    Joined: Jul 2002

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    06/15, 12:09pm | report spam | Reply |

    Patent Vultures

    Score 1 for the patent vultures...

  1. tindrum

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    06/15, 12:34pm | report spam | Reply |

    shakedown

    'nuf said.

  1. TheSnarkmeister

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    06/15, 02:26pm | report spam | Reply |

    The Founders are rolling

    The Founders are rolling their graves. The intellectual property system was never intended to function like this. It has been totally corrupted by highwaymen masquerading as lawyers and politicians. If we don't wake up and take the country back, poor people are going to be having to be pay rich people a license for everything soon -- and violent revolution, if not a total collapse into a dark age, won't be long behind that. Americans need to make a decision, throw both political parties and their corrupt corporate f-buddies out now, or pack up and leave the country and wait for it to collapse from a safer distance. The problem with the later plan is that the rest of the world isn't much less corrupt, and when America's economy self-destructs, you probably aren't going to be much safer outside of the country then in, as most of the world's prosperity will probably be dragged into the trash can of history as well. What a tragedy.

  1. darkelf

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    06/15, 03:16pm | report spam | Reply |

    turnabout

    i have recently patented a revolutionary system for business, by which means an entity may secure exclusive rights to an idea or invention for a period of time, in return for eventually placing said idea or invention into the public domain. i will begin licensing this concept immediately, my lawyer has details for payment.

  1. gskibum3

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    06/15, 03:41pm | report spam | Reply |

    TheSnarkmeister...

    Precisely what is it about this case that would cause the founding fathers to roll in their graves? How does this violate what the founding fathers intended for intellectual property laws to do?

  1. Tim_s

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    06/15, 04:27pm | report spam | Reply |

    gskibum3

    Because the only thing IP Innovation does is hold patents. They manufacture NOTHING! The only reason for their existence is to shake-down corporations for large sums of money. I really don't think the founding fathers had that in mind.

    A large percentage of lawyers should be dropped into the middle of the ocean.

  1. gskibum3

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    06/15, 04:36pm | report spam | Reply |

    tim_s

    Article 1, Section 8 of the United States Constitution says nothing about manufacturing.

  1. Loren

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    06/15, 04:37pm | report spam | Reply |

    The Founders are fine!

    [The intellectual property system was never intended to function like this.]

    Sure it was! Since 1790. You invent something, you draw up claims, from narrow to broad, you go through a fairly tortuous patent examination process, and if you pass, you get 20 years to exclude anyone else from copying your work without your permission-- and that means Apple must license. That's the way the Founding Fathers intended it-- except back then you had it for 17 years-- back then you didn't have rigorous clinical trials for pharma which ate up patent time so recently they added three years.

    The area of abuse stems from corporate lawyers drafting extremely narrow claims, many of which can be overturned, but it's a process requiring a war chest many independents don't have. Acacia is obviously a busy and creative outfit with a war chest and intellectual property worth fighting for, and wants a royalty on some software interface they developed.

    Compare to the ripoffs practised by Microsoft. Apple comes out smelling much better. Bill Gates is quoted as having pouted "We don't let little things like patents get in our way." That's how Expedia was born when Walker wouldn't sell Priceline.

    Patents are part of the reward for hard work. Licensing is extremely honorable. Infringement, deliberate or innocent, is not. Licensing is cool. It's the holy grail for small innovative companies, it's like being knighted.

    The Founding Fathers are resting fine. Start the revolution without them.

  1. gskibum3

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    06/15, 04:39pm | report spam | Reply |

    Back to my question...

    Just what about this case would make the founding fathers roll in their graves, considering they deliberately and thoughtfully included copyright and patent protection in the United States Constitution.

  1. testudo

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    Joined: Aug 2001

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    06/15, 04:44pm | report spam | Reply |

    founders

    Right, with all that's wrong in the US, its the IP argument that has the founders rolling in their graves.

    h***, they were probably rolling in their graves when they gave women the right to vote!

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