Mar
26
Patently new: MSFT, Apple and ADI
Posted by Dirk Avery at 10:06 am under Litigation, Patent.
Microsoft changes its tone relative to Open Source
Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith spoke at the Open Source Business Conference attempting to reconcile differences between the software giant and the open source community. CNET’s Charles Cooper reports:
“We believe in the importance of building a bridge that makes it possible for different parts of the industry to work together,” Smith said. “We believe in a bridge that is scalable, that is workable, that is affordable…that’s a hard bridge to build. But I will say this–today more than ever that is a bridge we very much need to build…”
In a later Q&A onstage, Smith allowed that Microsoft was treading on delicate ground–especially on the topic of patents. He acknowledged the differences and sought to undercut any appearance of confrontation.
“We live on both sides of the patent fence every day. We have more patent lawsuits than any company in our industry,” he said. “And yet we still believe in the benefits and value of a well-functioning patent system.”
Apple may be considering a flip iPhone
An apparently not-yet published application by Apple may relate to a flip iPhone. Unwired View has generated images of what the new phone may look like.
Silicon Laboratories and Analog Devices settle their patent dispute
CNNMoney writes:
Analog Devices Inc. filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Silicon Laboratories Inc. in U.S. District Court in Boston in Dec. 2006.
The complaint alleged that some of Silicon Labs’ products infringe patents related to the construction and signaling techniques from Analog Devices’ iCoupler chips. This line of products enable communication between separate electrical circuits while preventing current flow between them.
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