Now, S3 Graphics Slaps Apple with Two Patent Infringement Charges

[btarunr]

Soon to be subsidiary of HTC, currently held by VIA Technologies, S3 Graphics, fired off two more patent infringement charges against Apple Inc. Last week, VIA Technologies had sued Apple for alleged infringement of two of its CPU-related patents. These fresh charges by S3 Graphics, like those by VIA, seek sales ban on iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, as well as Mac in the United States. The complaints were filed with the US ITC (United States International Trade Commission), and a district court in Delaware.

S3 Graphics patents that the company claims Apple infringed are: #5945997 "block- and band-oriented traversal in three-dimensional triangle rendering," and #5581279 "VGA controller circuitry". If S3 Graphics pulls it off, it could inflict significant damage on Apple's sales, as the company heads towards the winter shopping season.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[NC37]

Dang, I need to find something to sue Apple about...this must be the new hip thing!! First iPod, then iPhone, now sue Apple!!

Again, likely had it coming but the timing of all this is just too precise :/. I do wonder what in the world they could sue Apple about regarding Macs. Guessing its the VGA circuitry but if I remember right, Apple doesn't even make their own boards. They've hired out a 3rd party to do them. Thought at one time I heard it was Asus which did it back in the RISC days.

 

[Flanker]

lots of work for tech lawyers these days

 

[FordGT90Concept]

Ahahahahaha!!!!

I'm sure Jobs is glad he got out.

 

[xenocide]

I wouldn't be surprised. You can't go sueing every single company you want and not expect it to come back in full force. There are a number of companies that Apple would be wise to steer clear of, and a couple that could easily take Apple out of the game (Microsoft comes to mind).

 

[MilkyWay]

"Soon to be subsidiary of HTC"
Interesting.

I wouldn't be surprised. You can't go sueing every single company you want and not expect it to come back in full force. There are a number of companies that Apple would be wise to steer clear of, and a couple that could easily take Apple out of the game (Microsoft comes to mind).

What do you mean by that statement?

 

[ObSo-1337]

I am really glad to see that companies are retaliating to the barrage of lawsuits apple has fired out recently. I hope to see Apple lose a few of them to bring them back down to earth

 

[v12dock]

I wouldn't be surprised. You can't go sueing every single company you want and not expect it to come back in full force. There are a number of companies that Apple would be wise to steer clear of, and a couple that could easily take Apple out of the game (Microsoft comes to mind).

"lol jobs I control you"

 

[qwerty_lesh]

good on you Samsungs friends, you show that bully that they can't go around getting stuff banned.

 

[xenocide]

What do you mean by that statement?

Essentially that Microsoft as long as companies like Motorola to an extent and probably IBM have enough patents to do to Apple exactly what they are trying to do to Android Handset Manufacturers. There was a reason Google bought Motorola, and it wasn't just because they thought they were super cool, its because they have a broad patent portfolio that makes them somewhat immune to Apples strategy.

 

[Ferrum Master]

I dunno... but I like these news...

 

[micropage7]

like whats history said
'my enemy's enemy is our friend'
so apple would have more after this

 

[kid41212003]

iSue?

 

[wickerman]

Honestly I think all this patent infringement stuff is total nonsense. Though I've yet to read these specific patents, everything else I've read so far either targeted against apple, or even used by apple against others, is just vague nonsensical text. All this back and forth between ALL these companies is only going to hurt us in the end. Something needs to be done to prevent patent trolls big or small from keeping this revolving door moving.

Yes patents are a great idea, yes they can protect anything from a single inventor to a multi billion dollar corporation. But the current system is broken, and we should not be held at the mercy of a document that vaguely describes a technology similar to something that was created 20 years after the patent was filed. And companies should not be allowed to pick and chose who they want to allow to infringe and who they want to license. Either every company that is effected by this patent is brought into court, or the only option would be some kind of mandatory licensing and if they cant agree on a price - then a judge gets to decide that price.

Having said that, I think Apple was right to go after Samsung who only ever manage to make 2 products - one is a poorly executed innovation and the other is a shameless rip off of a successful brand. They did it against RIM's blackberry, they did it against all kinds of Nokias, and now they are doing it to Apple.

I think Apple has reason to be upset with Google over Android as well. Android was originally being developed as a competitor to the blackberry, just look at all the early software and prototypes. It just so happened that one of the google execs (was it Schmit?) was sitting on apple's executive board during the planning and production of the iphone and then suddenly decides to change tactics with Android and make it into something closer to an iphone than to a blackberry.

I don't like someone copying my homework either, and if I find out you did then I'm telling on you!

 

[lashton]

The S3 patent has a 90$ likely hood of being successful

 

[micropage7]

yeah, they wanna win the market and thats the reason
sue the other company is to avoid losing market share and maybe the 'normal' thing is sue the competitors

 

[Shihab]

And I thought Apple was trolling
So, if stealing from the thief isn't considered a crime, would spamming a patent system spammer be considered a spam ?

Having said that, I think Apple was right to go after Samsung who only ever manage to make 2 products - one is a poorly executed innovation and the other is a shameless rip off of a successful brand. They did it against RIM's blackberry, they did it against all kinds of Nokias, and now they are doing it to Apple.

I think Apple has reason to be upset with Google over Android as well. Android was originally being developed as a competitor to the blackberry, just look at all the early software and prototypes. It just so happened that one of the google execs (was it Schmit?) was sitting on apple's executive board during the planning and production of the iphone and then suddenly decides to change tactics with Android and make it into something closer to an iphone than to a blackberry.

Are you kidding or you've just entered fanboi mode ?

According to your logic, MS Windows, Ubuntu and other Linux distros, ULV laptops, all shouldn't have been allowed to be made. After all, they were Macintosh/ Mac OS /Macbook Air ripoffs >.> Or were meant to compete against it in the market.

Agree on the Patents nonsense part though TAKE DOWN THE SYSTEM

 

[AsRock]

I wouldn't be surprised. You can't go sueing every single company you want and not expect it to come back in full force. There are a number of companies that Apple would be wise to steer clear of, and a couple that could easily take Apple out of the game (Microsoft comes to mind).

Way back didn't MS have to give them money which was ruled by the court due the market percentage they owned ?. Or was that some thing else ?.. I remember MS being split up though so maybe that cannot happen now ?..

 

[Ferrum Master]

Honestly I think all this patent infringement stuff is total nonsense. Though I've yet to read these specific patents, everything else I've read so far either targeted against apple, or even used by apple against others, is just vague nonsensical text. All this back and forth between ALL these companies is only going to hurt us in the end. Something needs to be done to prevent patent trolls big or small from keeping this revolving door moving.

Yes patents are a great idea, yes they can protect anything from a single inventor to a multi billion dollar corporation. But the current system is broken, and we should not be held at the mercy of a document that vaguely describes a technology similar to something that was created 20 years after the patent was filed. And companies should not be allowed to pick and chose who they want to allow to infringe and who they want to license. Either every company that is effected by this patent is brought into court, or the only option would be some kind of mandatory licensing and if they cant agree on a price - then a judge gets to decide that price.

Having said that, I think Apple was right to go after Samsung who only ever manage to make 2 products - one is a poorly executed innovation and the other is a shameless rip off of a successful brand. They did it against RIM's blackberry, they did it against all kinds of Nokias, and now they are doing it to Apple.

I think Apple has reason to be upset with Google over Android as well. Android was originally being developed as a competitor to the blackberry, just look at all the early software and prototypes. It just so happened that one of the google execs (was it Schmit?) was sitting on apple's executive board during the planning and production of the iphone and then suddenly decides to change tactics with Android and make it into something closer to an iphone than to a blackberry.

I don't like someone copying my homework either, and if I find out you did then I'm telling on you!

Come on? What? who only ever manage to make 2 products???? What about HTC? They made this smartphone market in the first place, and you are forgetting WMs... thats the beginning of it all. Nobody really cares about RIM, what it was and what it will be. Mimicking OS? Come on every linux shares same fundamental features? Isn't it normal? Nobody argues because it is free eh?
If you are starting to play high, you must be ready to pay. Apple forgot that it has nothing. Samsung does it all, they have bitten their own hand that feeds themselves with technology.
Patent system broken? What? The simple rule is, you have to share. And justice must be set -It eye for an eye... Otherwise everyone will start accusing anyone. Now the old makers teamed up, and will teach some manners. They have the masterminds and dev teams, next gen and new system, bus, technologies to shut up that apple and their patents? Isn't it quite logical?
Android is a developing platform...just as Nokia Maemo (starting from year 2005) that is more linux oriented and more even fun for dev people. Everyone had made efforts to develop its own kind of sandbox. Yes it is unpopular, but so what? It is a choice. Not to be jailed in file system.
The fact that we have limited amount of senses and only ten fingers on both hands, and two eyes defines that some features are same for every device and OS, therefor stop accusing makers that they are copying or something. It is just a natural evolution...

 

[NC37]

I wouldn't be surprised. You can't go sueing every single company you want and not expect it to come back in full force. There are a number of companies that Apple would be wise to steer clear of, and a couple that could easily take Apple out of the game (Microsoft comes to mind).

Nah, M$ can't dare or they'd face antitrust junk again...although, Apple would likely be the aggressor this time around so maybe antitrust on Apple. Both companies have also ripped each other off enough times over the years that I think they got equal grounds to sue each other into oblivion. Its kinda like a cold war. Both are armed with nukes but generally avoid using them because they fear their own destruction.

They'll both just be perpetually locked in an existence of a love/hate relationship. Unless Apple suddenly opened OSX for all hardware. Then I'm sure we'd see some saber rattling again. But I dunno if it would be very much. The advantages OSX had over Windows has diminished a lot while some of it's big disadvantages either haven't changed or gotten worse.

 

[Ferrum Master]

Unless Apple suddenly opened OSX for all hardware. Then I'm sure we'd see some saber rattling again. But I dunno if it would be very much. The advantages OSX had over Windows has diminished a lot while some of it's big disadvantages either haven't changed or gotten worse.

Impossible. Apple best quality is, that it is rock stable. Because it doesn't have such hardware variety and is fool proof. We cannot get it all... and M$ is doing wonders that it works on such colorful zoo of hardware.

 

[Shihab]

Impossible. Apple best quality is, that it is rock stable. Because it doesn't have such hardware variety and is fool proof. We cannot get it all... and M$ is doing wonders that it works on such colorful zoo of hardware.

The one thing I wish everyone that calls Windows a buggy/unstable OS to consider. That, and the fact that there are 9 Windows users for each user using any other OS.
Speaking of Apple computers, haven't they sued Intel yet ? I want to see how the biggest baddest chip maker of them all would retaliate.

 

[TheMailMan78]

Apple?

 

[Ferrum Master]

The simple truth is...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqv-ZzXpeAs

 

[Andrei23]

I like how Apple is getting cornered. I would like to see that company brought down to earth.


/grabs popcorn