Apple Tried to License Its Patents to Samsung in 2010

This whole Apple v. Samsung thing didn’t have to happen in a court room.

Over two years ago, in fact, Apple — now the plaintiff in one of the highest-profile patent cases ever — offered the Korean company a royalty-based license program for its various (allegedly) infringing wares. Even as Apple historically shies away from licensing any part of its “non-essentials” patent portfolio, the iPhone and iPad maker made an exception.

According to AllThingsD, the two companies met in 2010 after Samsung launched its iPhone-esque Galaxy S handset, and Apple opened discussions thus:

Samsung chose to embrace and imitate Apple’s iPhone archetype. Apple would have preferred that Samsung request a license to do this in advance. Because Samsung is a strategic supplier to Apple, we are prepared to offer a royalty-bearing license for this category of device.

The price Apple proposed would have cost Samsung $30 per smartphone and $40 per tablet, well under current estimates of what the software patents in question are actually worth. Apple even offered to give Samsung a 20-percent discount should the rival manufacturer enter into a cross-licensing agreement.

Unsurprisingly, Samsung thought the proposed value of Apple’s portfolio was unrealistic, and further negotiations were abandoned.

Here’s the kicker: If Samsung had simply played ball, it would’ve only cost it around $554 million (at a rate of roughly $250 million per year). That’s a big chunk of change to be sure, but when you consider that Samsung made $5.9 billion in profits last quarter alone, said premium seems much more affordable. Indeed, for about $63 million per quarter (or 1.05 percent of its quarterly haul), all this unpleasantness could’ve been avoided.

Instead, Samsung’s being sued for $2.5 billion.

And the company’s probably going to lose.

Samsung Will Give You Up to $300 for Your Old Smartphone

Samsung is giving you another reason to choose its smartphones — a rebate of up to $300 for your old smartphone.

The program, unveiled on the brand’s Facebook Page on Monday and on samsungupgrade.com, promises a refund within 30 days for anyone who buys a new Samsung smartphone and mails in their old one. A trade-in on an iPhone 4S 64GB in perfect condition will fetch you the full $300, but the rebates fall sharply from there. For instance, a 32GB version of the same model will only get you $230 and the 16GB version will get you $215.

However, such a rebate will essentially render a new top-of-the-line Samsung smartphone free or close to it: A Samsung Galaxy S III is $199 with a new contract and a Galaxy Note costs $249 with a new contract. The push comes as Samsung’s sales far outpace Apple’s on a global basis, but, like Microsoft, is viewed these days as an underdog against the Cupertino powerhouse. The Samsung-Apple skirmish isn’t just happening in the marketplace, though: The two are in the midst of a protracted courtroom battle over Samsung’s alleged theft of Apple’s mobile phone intellectual property.

In addition, both Apple and Samsung look to be planning big announcements over the next few weeks: Samsung has a mysterious event planned for Aug. 15 that appears to be related to its Galaxy Note devices. Apple, meanwhile, is reportedly planning to introduce a new iPhone model on Sept. 12.

What do you think? Is this incentive enough to make you want to switch to Samsung? Let us know in the comments. (Mashable.com)

Official Android 4.0.4 ICS Update For Galaxy Tab 10.1 Rolling Out Now

Apple and Samsung may be currently locked in a rather ugly trial centered around various alleged patent and design infringements, but that doesn’t mean the owners of either company’s products needs to needlessly suffer. Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 is one of the products that finds itself right in the middle of the ongoing dispute between the two technology giants, but even in the midst of all the legal wrangling, it still manages to find itself receiving a nice new software update which brings new and improved Android features.

If you are the proud – or even possibly ashamed – owner of a Galaxy Tab 10.1 then you might find yourself receiving an imminent notification advising that Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is available for immediate download. We understand that this software update is only currently rolling out to United Kingdom based Galaxy owners, and at present, we aren’t entirely sure if users in other territories can expect to see similar updates in the near future. As part of the firmware update, the device will prompt the user to download and install a 237MB file to enable all of that Ice Cream Sandwich goodness.

Any notification of the availability of a new Android version is always good news for device owners, especially when you consider the insane fragmentation with Google’s mobile operating system. But it is also an update that might be classified as bitter-sweet for some users given the fact that devices like the Nexus 7 have access to the new and highly praised Jelly Bean version of the software. An update is great, but an update to what is already an out of date operating system is not so great in our opinion.

It isn’t just the 10.1 that is receiving the Ice Cream Sandwich love. Owners of Samsung’s 7.0, 7.7 and 8.9 tablets are also expected to be receiving the update notifications, allowing the firmware files to be download and updated over the air on the device itself, or alternatively through the use of the Samsung Kies software. One piece of good news about the update is that it is actually the latest version of ICS, Android 4.0.4, that is being pushed out to the Galaxy Tab lineup and will hopefully bring enough new features and improvements to keep users happy.

With all eyes currently focusing on Samsung and Apple for perhaps the wrong reasons, it’s nice to see some of those Galaxy Tab loving customers getting an update that will attempt to bring some additional battery life and improved processing speed, as well as giving them access to the new interface that lives within Ice Cream Sandwich. If you haven’t received the update on your UK device yet, worry not as the update process is gradual. (Redmondpie.com)

Apple aims for salted earth in Samsung fight

NEW YORK -- As the high-stakes patent trial between Apple and Samsung Electronics moves into its second day Tuesday, one thing is clear: Apple is committed to waging total war. Like the Roman Empire in its victory over Carthage, Apple seems determined to salt the earth so that its competitor can never rise again.

Apple is seeking to have the court case declared "exceptional," a legal standard under which the jury could award treble damages. That's three times the amount of actual, provable damages -- which Apple is claiming run to billions of dollars.

Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500) is also seeking to recoup 100% of Samsung's profits from the sales of any products found to be in violation of Apple's patents. Although the bone of contention is the allegedly infringing outward appearance of Samsung's smartphones and tablets -- "trade dress" in patent-law lingo -- Apple says that it is entitled to revenues from the whole enchilada.

It's also seeking a permanent injunction to stop Samsung from selling all infringing products.

Apple partially got its way when Judge Lucy Koh, a former patent lawyer, issued an injunction barring sales of Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet while the trial proceeds. In a second, related case, Koh issued a similar injunction to stop U.S. sales of the Galaxy Nexus smartphone. The Nexus remains on sale, though, thanks to a temporary stay from an appeals court.

Apple's thirst for blood isn't unusual. "You always wage total war in litigation -- that's the way this works," said Harold Edgar, a professor of law and technology at the Columbia Law School.

Apple's accusations -- among them that Samsung practices "a corporate policy of deception" -- provoked a furious response from the Korean electronics manufacturer.

"Apple's overreaching claim for damages is a natural extension of its attempt to monopolize the marketplace," Samsung said in its trial brief. It added that Apple's key design patent "shows little more than a blank rectangle with rounded corners."

Samsung's counter-claim is that Apple should pay Samsung for Apple's use of Samsung's core smartphone technology, including a patented five-step method for "sending text-only emails, sending emails displaying both text and an image, and sequentially displaying images stored on the device."

Should Samsung carry the day on those allegations, Apple would be required to pay Samsung royalties. (CNN.com)

Viber Gets Group Messaging and Two Other Stories You Need to Know

Welcome to this morning’s edition of “First To Know,” a series in which we keep you in the know on what’s happening in the digital world. Today, we’re looking at three particularly interesting stories.

Viber Gets Group Messaging, Hits 90 Million Users

Mobile messaging application Viber has released version 2.2, introducing group messaging as well as improved call quality and several user interface enhancements.

The company also said it has reached 90 million users, with users making over 1.5 billion minutes of calls each month. This is a jump of 20 million users in just over two months.

Apple Wins One, Loses One in Patent Battle With Samsung

Apple has won a preliminary ban of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 across the European Union. Samsung said it is “disappointed” with the court’s ruling, though the company “welcomes” another court decision, which states that the company’s Galaxy Tab 10.1N does not infringe Apple’s intellectual property.

ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity Comes to UK on August 31

ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity will become available in the UK through Amazon on August 31 for £599, the company has announced.

The device features a 1920 x 1200 Super IPS+ display, Android 4.0 and a detachable Mobile Dock accessory which turns it from a tablet into a laptop.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, mattjeacock

Samsung records robust sales of latest smartphone

SEOUL—South Korea’s Samsung Electronics, the world’s top smartphone maker, has sold more than 10 million units of its newest Galaxy S III model since its launch about two months ago, a report said Sunday. The company said earlier this month it expected a record operating profit of 6.7 trillion won ($5.9 billion) in the second quarter, boosted by strong sales of its flagship Galaxy smartphones.

The Korean firm, which is battling with Apple’s iPhone and iPad for supremacy in the lucrative smartphone and tablet market, has seen heavy demand for its new Galaxy S III phone, which was introduced in Europe in May.

“It appears that it (accumulated sales) has exceeded 10 million units,” said J.K. Shin, head of the Samsung’s mobile communications division, according to Yonhap news agency.

Shin said last month he expected the global sales of the new phone – available in more than 140 countries – would surpass 10 million by the end of July, including sales of about a million units at home.

The third version of the firm’s Galaxy S series offers face-recognition technology and improved voice-activated controls as well as a more powerful processor.

It also has a 4.8-inch (12.2-centimeter) screen that is 22 percent larger than the previous S2 version, while it can detect eye movements and override the automatic shutdown if the user is looking at the screen.

Samsung shipped 44.5 million smartphones in the first quarter, exceeding the 35.1 million of US arch-rival Apple, according to market researcher Strategy Analytics in April.

Samsung, embroiled in a slew of patent suits with Apple in international courts, is pinning its hopes on the S III to further erode its market share before the expected new version of Apple’s iPhone 5 this year.

Earlier this month, Samsung won one of those patent battles, with a British judge ruling that Samsung’s Galaxy tablet did not infringe Apple’s registered design and that consumers were not likely to confuse it with the iPad tablet.

Source: Inquirer.net