Legal

Apple v. Samsung re-opens with plenty of drama

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Nearly half an hour before the jury even stepped into the room, tension was in the air.

Both Apple and Samsung, who are in the beginning phases of a month-long patent trial here, were awaiting a decision on what U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh would do about a spat between the two companies stemming from excluded evidence Samsung sent out to press. Apple had drawn concern about the issue, saying it might taint the jury.

Koh put that to rest this morning. She dismissed Apple's request to punish Samsung's attorneys and instead brought … Read more

Apple to Samsung: Don't reveal iPad, iPhone sales data

Apple has asked a U.S. District judge to prevent Samsung from making public "confidential" and "competitively sensitive" information today during court proceedings.

In documents filed by Apple, the company's lawyers said they have two separate motions to seal the information pending before the court and that they make a "document-by-document showing of good cause and compelling reasons for sealing" the exhibits that Samsung wishes to use when it cross-examines Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing.

Apple filed a patent suit accusing Samsung of ripping off its intellectual property … Read more

Apple v. Samsung: Meet Apple's next 7 witnesses

After its first real break, court is back in session later today in the case between Apple and Samsung.

The trial is currently in its testimony phase, as both sides break out a string of witnesses. So far that's included testimony from Apple's Christopher Stringer, one of the designers of the iPhone, the iPad, and numerous other Apple products. And just before the break it was Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller, who is slated to the stand once again this morning.

There are six others testifying after Schiller, though you might not know all of them. Here's … Read more

Samsung lashes back at Apple in excluded evidence spat

As expected, Samsung has fired back at Apple's efforts for legal sanctions against it in the federal case between the two companies.

In a new filing this evening, Samsung once again said it only sent out excluded trial evidence to members of the media because it had received requests from them for more information, and that said information had already been made public in earlier filings.

Samsung then pointed fingers back at the court for requiring that information to be public in the first place.

"In the days and weeks leading up to jury selection and Samsung's … Read more

Judge: Apple snoozed on claiming Kodak patents

A U.S. bankruptcy judge has denied Apple's claim on two Kodak patents, saying the company waited too long to make ownership claims, Bloomberg reported.

Judge Allan Gropper's ruling called Apple's claims "unreasonably delayed," and said trying to figure out the ownership claims now could set Kodak back in its bankruptcy case.

The ruling settles two of the 10 claims Apple had on Kodak's patents. Gropper also denied a summary judgement request from Kodak for the other eight claims.

Kodak, which filed for bankruptcy protection in January, is attempting to auction 1,100 patents … Read more

AuthenTec's board under investigation after Apple buy

The board of AuthenTec is under investigation by New York-based law firm Levi & Korsinsky following its pending acquisition by Apple.

In a note to AuthenTec investors this morning, the firm said it is looking into whether the company broke any laws, and "adequately" shopped itself around to potential buyers before selling to Apple.

"The claims concern whether the AuthenTec board of directors breached their fiduciary duties to AuthenTec stockholders by failing to adequately shop the company before entering into this transaction and whether Apple is underpaying for AuthenTec shares, thus unlawfully harming AuthenTec stockholders," the … Read more

Apple: Misconduct part of Samsung's legal strategy

Apple railed against Samsung's conduct in a court filing response seeking sanctions against Samsung for releasing excluded evidence to reporters as the legal drama between the two technology giants continues to unfold.

"Litigation misconduct is apparently a part of Samsung's litigation strategy -- and limited sanctions have not deterred Samsung from such conduct," Apple said in its filing to Judge Luck Koh and the U.S. District Court in San Jose.

Apple, curiously, isn't seeking a mistrial, which it argues would benefit Samsung, or even a fee. Instead, it asked that the court grant Apple … Read more

Apple seeks 'emergency' sanctions against Samsung

Apple is not happy with Samsung's explanation for why it published excluded evidence outside of court yesterday.

In a letter to U.S. district court judge Lucy Koh this afternoon, Apple's counsel William Lee said the company found Samsung's letter to the court -- which was filed by John B. Quinn of Samsung's law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan earlier today -- to be unsatisfactory.

"Mr. Quinn's declaration does not adress two of the Court's questions: who drafted the statement and who released it," Lee wrote. "Samsung's multiple references … Read more

Samsung: We weren't trying to influence jurors

In a court filing this morning, Samsung explained why it was not at fault for offering excluded trial evidence to the press, saying that information was in the public domain because it had already been published.

"Contrary to the representations Apple's counsel made to this Court, Samsung did not issue a general press release and more importantly, did not violate any Court Order or any legal or ethical standards," John B. Quinn, of Samsung's law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP said in a filing this morning.

"These false representations by Apple's counsel … Read more