Patents Articles on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog

Apple taking ownership of patents acquired from Kodak

by Steven Sande (Apr 30th, 2013)

Last year, a group of 12 licensees bid on 1,100 digital photography patents that were being sold by Kodak as part of bankruptcy proceedings. Although the venerable photography company was hopeful that the sale would be enough to help it restructure, the portfolio sold for only US$525 million to ...

Apple licenses 'worthless' Palm patents

by Michael Grothaus (Apr 10th, 2013)

Japanese blog Macotakara has uncovered documents published on Access (formerly PalmSource) that show Apple has licensed US$10 million worth of patents from a number of former technology companies, including the now defunct Palm. Interestingly, as 9to5Mac points out, Steve Jobs once told then Palm ...

Apple files patent for app access on lockscreen

by Mike Schramm (Apr 4th, 2013)

Apple has filed a patent for something I would love to see implemented in a future iOS update: Quick access to certain apps directly from the iPhone's lockscreen. Patently Apple says that the patent application outlines a system of rotating the "slide to unlock" slider on iOS' lockscreen ...

Judge Koh reduces damages in Apple v. Samsung case by $450 million, orders new trial

by Randy Nelson (Mar 1st, 2013)

There's been a significant development in the court case that saw Apple awarded US$1.05 billion in damages last August. According to The Recorder, Judge Lucy Koh has ordered that the amount Samsung must pay Apple be reduced by $450 million, or almost 40 percent, and that a new trial be held to ...

iBook Lessons: Could Amazon create a used e-book market?

by Erica Sadun (Feb 12th, 2013)

iBook Lessons is a continuing series about e-book writing and publishing. This Slashgear writeup about a newly awarded Amazon patent just caught our eyes here at TUAW Central. Apparently, Amazon may be exploring an online used digital goods market. Amazon proposes to establish an ...

Apple scores trademark for store design

by Mike Wehner (Jan 31st, 2013)

Given that Apple is well-known for its iconic, glass-heavy store designs, the fact that the company has been attempting to trademark its look shouldn't come as much of a surprise. Now, Mashable reports that as we approach the three-year anniversary of Apple's attempt to trademark the design, ...

Judge approves Kodak patent sale to consortium led by Apple, Google

by Michael Grothaus (Jan 12th, 2013)

On Friday a judge approved the sale of 1,100 Kodak patents to a consortium led by Apple, Google, and Microsoft. The patent portfolio sold for US$525 million, well below Kodak's hope to get up to $2 billion for the patents. The once all-powerful photography company Kodak is going through ...

Daily Update for January 11, 2013

by Steven Sande (Jan 11th, 2013)

It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player ...

Apple patent reveals its retail management tools

by Mike Wehner (Jan 3rd, 2013)

We're used to seeing patents for things like device form factors and new functionality, but a recent Apple filing offers a look at your typical Apple Store like you've never seen it before: a calculated retail battleground where every product has a place, and no layout decision is without ...

HTC exec lauds licensing agreement with Apple

by Mike Schramm (Jan 2nd, 2013)

Ray Yam is the president of HTC China, and he recently said in an interview with the Economic Observer of China that the company's recent licensing agreement with Apple will "pay off" sometime this new year in 2013. HTC and Apple, you may remember, finally settled a longtime patent disagreement ...

Kodak sells imaging patents to pay down debt

by Kelly Hodgkins (Dec 19th, 2012)

Struggling imaging company Kodak announced today that it sold its digital imaging patents to pay off its debts as it moves through bankruptcy. The US$525 million portfolio was purchased by patent licensing companies Intellectual Ventures and RPX Corporation. Intellectual Ventures will pay a ...

Apple files patent for true wireless charging technology

by Mike Wehner (Nov 30th, 2012)

When it comes to wireless charging, today's options aren't exactly as cord-free as the label would suggest. Things like charging mats or other wireless docking options are fine and all, but adding more accessories and bulky cases to the mix is often more trouble than it's worth. As Wired ...

Daily Update for November 16, 2012

by Steven Sande (Nov 16th, 2012)

Apple grabs more than 1,000 patents from Rockstar Consortium

by Kelly Hodgkins (Nov 16th, 2012)

Apple is beefing up its patent portfolio with the recent transfer of over 1,000 patents from Rockstar Consortium. The patent and patent application transfer was first reported by Yonhap News and confirmed by patent transfer records in the US Patent and Trademark Office database. Apple is a ...

Latest Apple patents include "invisible" touch controls

by Mike Wehner (Nov 7th, 2012)

Apple recently filed a patent that makes touch controls disappear -- literally. The patent (No. 8,303,151) is for something called "microperforation illumination," and while the name is catchy, the technology is actually rather complex. First you pick a non-display surface of a device like a ...