Apple smartwatches offer a unique functionality tied into the Apple ecosystem called Auto Unlock. Using this feature, Apple users can easily unlock their Macbooks and iPhones without the need for a password or Face ID. This feature was first announced in June 2016 by the company.

Now, according to a Patently Apple report, a company called SmartWatch MobileConcepts LLC is suing the Cupertino giant on grounds of patent infringement regarding the Auto Unlock feature. The patent the company SmartWatch MobileConcepts LLC is referring to is patent 10,362,480 titled “Systems, Methods, and Apparatuses for Enabling Wearable Device user Access to Secured Electronics Systems”. The patent was acquired by the firm from the members of the Ortiz family.

According to the report, this appears to be an instance of patent trolling to make the Cupertino giant cough up some cash via a settlement or a legal dispute. For those unaware, a patent troll is a derogatory term used to describe a business that utilizes patents and the court system to earn money.

However, things might not go as planned for SmartWatch MobileConcepts LLC as the above-mentioned patent was filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on August 11, 2016, whereas, Apple announced this feature during WWDC 2016 which ran between June 13 to June 17, almost two months before the patent was filed. It remains to be seen how the court will decide upon this matter, so stay tuned for more updates.

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Samsung is facing another legal battle over alleged patent violation. The company has been sued by a patent troll over the use of an algorithm that predicts the remaining battery life on its Android smartphones.

The South Korean tech giant is being sued by a company called K. Mizra LLC. For those unaware, a patent troll is basically a term used to describe an entity that acquires and collects patents. Rather than using the technology described in the patents, these companies generate revenue by using “aggressive” litigation and legal battles based on patents. Now, K. Mirzra claims that Samsung infringed on its patent that is related to smartphone battery technology.

The lawsuit was filed against the South Korean company on May 20 in the Dusseldorf Regional Court in Germany. As per the accusation, K. Mizra’s “battery runtime prediction as implemented in Samsung devices using younger versions of the Android OS infringes the German designation of its patent EP 2 174 201 B1.” In other words, the company infringed on a patent that describes an algorithm that can analyze users’ behaviors to predict the remaining battery life of the smartphone.

This also enables the handset to showcase a more precise battery life estimate as well. Thus, K. Mizra claims that this Android based feature on Samsung Galaxy devices are based on the inventions covered in its patents. It remains to be seen how the patent dispute plays out. So stick around for more updates as we will be provide more updates if there are any notable developments with this case.

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Canadian smartphone manufacturer BlackBerry has sold its legacy patents covering mobile technologies to Catapult IP Innovations Inc. for $600 million. The company has disclosed that the sale consists of all its non-core patent assets.

According to a report by AppleInsider, this move from BlackBerry may spell trouble for other smartphone companies like Apple who may be subject to patent trolling in the future.

The concern arises as the Cupertino-based giant has been sued multiple times in the past for alleged BlackBerry patent infringements and the patents are now being sold to Catapult IP Innovations Inc. which could be considered a nonpracticing entity (NPE).

For those unaware, a patent troll is a derogatory term used to describe a business that utilizes patents and the court system to earn money. In other words, the company may use the patents it acquired from the deal with BlackBerry to demand royalties or outright sue other smartphone manufacturers for patent infringement.

BlackBerry will get $450 million dollars in cash, a promissory note for $150 million as well as the license for using the patents. In return, Catapult IP Innovations Inc. will acquire BlackBerry’s patents related to mobile devices, messaging, and wireless networking IPs. BlackBerry specifically says that the sale will not affect customers using its products or services.

The company says the deal will need to satisfy all regulatory conditions under the Hart–Scott–Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act in the United States and the Investment Canada Act, which could take up to 210 days.

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(Source)

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Samsung Electronics has just been hit with a new lawsuit. The legal dispute is allegedly over a patent infringement in the US. This lawsuit was filed by a European patent troll.

According to a BusinessKorea report, the lawsuit was filed by the Dublin based Scramoge Technology, which is a non practicing entity (NPE). The firm filed a patent infringement against the South Korean tech giant with the US District Court in Texas earlier this month. Scramoge Technology alleged that the brand has launched new products using its wireless charging technology without permission. This news arrives after the NPE purchased 123 patents related to wireless charging from LG Innotek back in 2021.

For those unaware, a patent troll is a derogatory term used to describe a business that utilize patents and the court system to earn money. In other words, the company is using the patents it acquired from LG Innotek to sue Samsung. It had previously filed a similar lawsuit against the South Korean brand back in April 2021, and another one back August 2021. Those legal disputes were over the alleged infringement of the company’s newly launched Galaxy Z Flip3 and Galaxy Z Fold3 foldable phones.

Now, Scramoge Technology is stating that Samsung infringed on seven of its wireless charging patents, which included short range communication antenna solutions as well. Furthermore, the NPE has also filed for damages as it claims that the known consumer electronics maker caused damages to its business by selling its patented products in the US. As of right now, industry insiders believe that Samsung might face a difficult legal battle considering Scramoge Technology’s parent company is Atlantic IP Services, which is apparently known for being an infamous patent troll group.

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