Another day, another process means, more processes.
Memoji
Presented this year as one of the new features of iOS 12, the Memoji an extension of the popular Animoji, however, with faces. Available on iPhones with a TrueDepth front camera (ie, X, XS, XS Max and XR), the feature is already a hit with users.
Well, in a new lawsuit against Apple, it was alleged that the Memoji brand came from an Android app with the same name, as published by AppleInsider.
Everything indicates that Social Tech (app developer) registered the brand in April 2016; however, before registration was officially granted, Apple entered the game to get the name for itself.
In that sense, Social Tech said that Apple created a subsidiary called Memofun Apps (which, at the time, has a "forgotten and abandoned" application called Memoji) supposedly to "hold" the rights to the name. At another point in this suspected history, Social Tech said it was approached by a mysterious buyer last May, who asked her about buying the rights to the app's name. The company said the brand was not for sale and the person refused to disclose which company he worked for.
Apple's infringing product, from the day of its announcement, caused Social Tech to lose control of its brand: a search on Google and YouTube for the term MEMOJI dominated by Apple's feature.
As published in the Northern California District Court sent document, Social Tech requested a permanent injunction that restricts Apple from using the Memoji brand. In addition, she requested compensation for damages for unauthorized use of the name and confirmation of her rights.
What a story
Former engineer demands recognition
Ma engineer and former employee Darren Eastman is suing the company for not including his name as the inventor of five patent applications filed by the company, including the project behind the creation of the Search My iPhone, as also disclosed by AppleInsider.
According to a document sent to the California District Court, Eastman claimed that he lost his iPhone (the first model released by Apple) in 2008, which inspired him to create a device tracking system. Buscar Meu iPhone was only launched in June 2010, along with iOS 4.
In addition, the former employee claimed that his name be included in a patent application for an "electronic box office" (similar to the Wallet app). According to Eastman, he developed the concept behind this service before joining Apple. He also said that Steve Jobs liked the idea when he heard about the project in February 2006 before the launch of the first iPhone.
In addition to recognition in these and three other patents, the engineer is asking for $ 326,000 in damages, $ 32,000 in interest and $ 5,000 in attorney fees. He is still suing Ma for failing to deliver the shares he was supposedly entitled to leave the company in 2014; in this case, he is asking 735 Apple papers, the equivalent of US $ 165 thousand.
New process involving FaceTime and iMessage
Apple was the target of yet another lawsuit involving patent infringement related to appeals iMessage and FaceTime. This time, Ma was accused by the Finnish company MPH Technologies Oy, which tried to license patents to Apple in 2016 and 2017, without success.
Altogether, the Cupertino giant has been cited for infringing eight Finnish company patents, most of which are related to sending and forwarding messages over a secure connection. In the document, presented by the Northern California District Court, iMessage, FaceTime and the VPN from Apple, used for mobile device management solutions marketed to corporations and educational institutions.
However, the Patently Apple released curious information about the patents in question. According to the website, two of the patents that are under the registration of MPH in the USA are not originally owned by the Finnish company, according to the patent application information retrieval system of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (United States Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO).
Even though MPH was not the inventor of patents, it contacted Apple regarding the infringement, but did not get any feedback. Eventually, Ma replied that "she does not believe that the license application (for patents) is necessary, since the patents declared have not been infringed and are invalid". Subsequently, Apple invited MPH to "provide a more detailed explanation" of its position as owner of the patent. In the response sent to Ma, the Finnish technology company refuted claims about non-infringement and invalidity of patents, suing it.
The amount of compensation requested by MPH was not revealed and the company filed an injunction against the use of technologies that infringe the patents in question, that is, several iOS devices and Macs.
Apple Case vs. VirnetX approaches $ 600 million
The legal fight between Apple and VirnetX (which also involves patent infringement related to iMessage, FaceTime and VPN) continues to heat up the courts and Apple's pockets. Earlier this month, the Cupertino giant was forced to pay more than $ 500 million in damages patent troll.
Now, a new document sent to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission has added an additional $ 93 million to the amount for a list of pre-trial costs. As a result, the process is close to US $ 600 million, as reported by the AppleInsider.
Apple is still appealing the decision and is expected to appeal both the amount requested and the amount released this week on costs of the suit.
L is the eighth year of this litigious battle
Apple wins dispute against American university
Amid so many new lawsuits and increasing losses, Apple had a million dollar break in at least one case. Last year, we commented that she was ordered to pay damages to the University of Wisconsin after she was accused of infringing patents with processors A7, A8 and A8X. Ma appealed the decision and the result of that request was released this week.
The Federal Court of Appeals voted in favor of Apple and said the company did not infringe any of the university's patents, overturning the previous decision in favor of WARF (Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation), as disclosed by Reuters. The decision overturned the conviction against Apple released last year, in which the company would have to pay $ 234 million to the foundation.
In addition to the fine, the Cupertino giant was charged $ 272 million for continuing to infringe the patent from the sale of the devices. With the recent decision, however, it is likely that this amount will also be discarded.
