Legal

Apple wants a North Carolina man to return a prototype notebook computer he purchased on Craigslist earlier this year, CNET has learned.

Three weeks ago, photos of the device emerged in an eBay listing by Carl Frega, a North Carolina resident who had purchased the machine from someone on Craigslist for parts to fuel his repair business. Upon opening it up, he discovered that the machine was unlike any Apple had ever released to the public.

Beneath the notebook's metal frame was a slot for a SIM card and on the lid was an external antenna, suggesting Apple was … Read more

Social-gaming site Zynga may delay its initial public offering until November as a result of the current turmoil in the stock market, according to the New York Post.

Zynga was looking to raise up to $1 billion by going public as early as September. But citing sources "with knowledge of Zynga's plans," the Post said the company has been concerned by the stock market's recent up-and-down ride, prompting it to back off on its IPO for now.

Launched in 2007, Zynga has turned into a force for online social gaming with such popular titles as FarmVille, … Read more

Apple has won another major victory in its ongoing battle with Samsung.

A Dutch court in The Hague today issued a preliminary injunction against the Samsung Galaxy S, Galaxy S II, and Ace smartphones, following a hearing on the matter earlier this month. The court said that the Android-based devices violate a software patent that iPhone maker Apple holds in the European Union and that Apple claims Samsung violated.

According to FOSS Patents, which first reported on the court decision, the ruling will ban the sale of those devices in a host of EU countries where Apple's patent is … Read more

In its latest salvo in its case against Samsung Electronics in The Netherlands, Apple is seeking a European Union ban on the importation and sales of all Galaxy smartphones and tablets.

Apple's injunction, filed in The Hague district court, would affect the Galaxy Ace, Galaxy S, and Galaxy SII smartphones as well as the Galaxy Tab 7 and Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablets, according Dutch publication Webwereld, which has reviewed the complaint (English translation).

The complaint also demands Samsung send a letter to distributors and resellers requesting that all stock be returned to Samsung "within 14 days" … Read more

As expected, Apple has been hit with a class-action lawsuit in South Korea.

About 27,000 South Koreans filed their class-action suit against Apple today, charging the Cupertino, Calif.-based company with privacy violations in its iOS-based devices, the Associated Press is reporting. The plaintiffs are requesting about 27 billion won ($25.3 million) in damages, which translates to about $936 per person.

Earlier this month, the Korea Herald reported that law firm Miraelaw was planning to file a lawsuit on behalf of over 27,000 people against Apple. That report estimated that Apple would be asked to pay about $… Read more

A ban that prevented sales of Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet in Europe has been lifted, according to the Dutch publication Webwereld.

Citing confirmation from Peter Schutz, spokesman for the Dusseldorf District Court, IDG's Webwereld (English translation) said Samsung can now resume sales of its Galaxy Tab tablet throughout Europe, with the exception of Germany. The court ruled that the German court does not have the power to ban sales of the tablet except within its own country.

In response to the new ruling, Samsung sent CNET the following statement:

"Samsung welcomes the Dusseldorf District Court'… Read more

A Dutch publication is accusing Apple of providing incorrect evidence in a patent case against Samsung to make the Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet appear closer in size and shape to the iPad 2.

The IDG publication Webwereld.nl (English translation) published its findings yesterday.

Examining pictures found in a document that Apple recently submitted to a German court, Webwereld.nl found one of the photos of the Tab to be inaccurate. Photos on page 28 of the document show the Tab and iPad 2 as "practically identical" in appearance.

But according to the Dutch publication, the Tab … Read more

If messy fingerprints have you wiping your iPhone, iPod, or iPad screen on your shirtsleeve or pant leg several times a day, well, Apple has an app(lication) for that--a patent application, to be precise.

The trick is not to ask customers to wash their hands before touching the screen. Rather, it involves coating the screens of electronic devices with an oil-resistant material called oleophobic, according to a patent application that recently surfaced on Patently Apple.

The liquid coating is applied using a method called Physical Vapor Desposition ("PVD"). The technique is used to deposit thin films of vaporized material onto the surface. In this case, the coating is applied in liquid form inside of a bottle that is pressurized with inert gas, so that it can be sprayed onto the surface. … Read more

Samsung and Apple are prepping themselves for a key battle later this month over the Galaxy Tab 10.1.

On August 25, a German court will hear arguments on whether it should overturn a temporary ban on the sale of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 across the European Union.

Earlier this week, the court granted Apple a preliminary injunction banning the sale of Samsung's tablet in all European Union countries, except for the Netherlands. Apple, obviously pleased with the result, reissued a statement it has released several times over the last few months, charging that Samsung knowingly copied the … Read more