Apple has filed an injunction against the Android 4.0 flagship Samsung Galaxy Nexus in California, claiming the Nexus violates at least four of Apple’s recently-claimed patents. According to FOSS Patents, these include:
The “data tapping” patent which resulted in an import ban of HTC devicesA patent related to Siri and unified searchThe infamous (and highly criticized) slide-to-unlock patent Apple recently wonA word completion patent which provides major speed improvements for touchscreen text entryFOSS Patents speculates that Apple will easily win the first patent, as this is the patent Apple used to score a difficult-to-obtain victory against HTC in the ITC, where only 1 in 20 smartphone patent cases are deemed to be in violation. In fact, Google has willingly violated this patent, choosing to keep the infringing technology in Android 4.0. If Google is deemed guilty in this aspect, they will likely need to make a few changes in Android 4.0 if they’re going to continue to put Android 4.0 in smartphones. The other patents are a bit murkier, and we recommend you heading over to the FOSS Patents site to read more about them and their potential implications for Google’s future business.
Though Apple was denied a preliminary injunction against the Galaxy Nexus (and the Galaxy Tab 10.1N) in Germany, that case was based on a different set of patents. The current charges are based on patents earned after September 2011, and are certainly much more important as they relate to core features of Android 4.0 itself, such as the slide to unlock functionality in Google’s lockscreen, as well as the way Google is and plans to handle mobile search in the future.
We’ll likely learn more about this case in coming months; The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California is expected to rule on this case sooner rather than later.
Source: FOSS Patents
Anthony loves all things technology, from hardware to apps and games. You can connect with him via Google+ or Twitter by clicking one of the fancy doo-dads above. Tagged#Android 4.0#apple#google#lawsuit#patent#Samsung#Samsung Galaxy Nexus#slide to unlock .nrelate .nr_sponsored{ left:0px !important; }.nrelate .nr_sponsored{ left:0px !important; } 66 Comments Join the discussion!Sort by DateRating 
Mark ShramekGuest 11 hours ago Thumb upThumb down -24Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
I think Samsung and Google have some serious problems here. This could completely change the android os for good and not in a good way. Slide to unlock is going to go in apples favor no matter what.
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88Jeff Pan 11 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +4Android could just adopt the variation of “Ring” that HTC Sense uses! Wouldnt that work?
Replyit’s iffy. The patent is broad, and HTC’s implementation may violate Apple’s patent as well.
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94AsakuraZero 11 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +9yep now apple touched the behemot AKA google, we may see some blood on this patent fight
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75CJ LaFleur 9 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +11Now lets see google finally put apple in their place! Someone has to show them they can’t just do whatever they want!
2NT_ 6 hours ago Thumb upThumb down -2I think you may be confused about which one is the financial behemoth. ;)
62aranea 4 hours ago Thumb upThumb down -1Motorola having Google behind them did that to Apple in Germany. This is Apple’s revenge move.
98Nick Gray 9 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +4HTC’s variation of the clock screen may actually get around apple’s patent since Apple’s application stipulates that a graphical object be moved from a pre-defined position to another predefined position to unlock a device.
HTC’s lock screen moves an object (the ring) from a pre-defined position out of a pre-defines area. It’s a subtle difference, but it should keep them safe.
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94redraider133 8 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +3Except you don’t really slide it like the apple version since you can move it in a complete circle, can’t do that on an iphone…
Reply AppleFUDGuest 8 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +6There is prior art for sliding an image unlock a mobile device. Like most of what apple throws at the wall, only a small percentage will stick. If apple is real lucky they might get one patent to stick and it will most likely be a software patent that can easily be worked around.
All apple is doing here is throwing a temper tantrum–now that jobs is gone the company continues in the same childish fashion.
Reply AppleFUDGuest 8 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +5here’s some prior art for ‘slide to unlock’
Reply fxleGuest 6 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +1Slide to unlock won’t work because Apple’s patent claim is about predefined path for sliding. However in Honeycomb and ICS, path is not predefined, target point is determined, and path is arbitrary.
ReplyCome on Apple. This is just immature IMO.
About the lock screen gesture: I’m pretty sure it only talks about sliding the thing in a specified path. In Android 4.0 you can slide it anywhere in the ring and then to the unlock side. That shouldn’t violate Apple’s patent.
This whole thing is just ridiculous.
Reply TristanGuest 11 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +1no…there are enough instances of “and/or” in the patent to cover pretty much any notion of sliding your finger across the touchscreen to begin interacting with the device.
the USPTO allowed Apple to patent an idea.
Reply Daniel CGuest 11 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +5“the USPTO allowed Apple to patent an idea.”
In 2000,the USPTO also granted a patent for “bread refreshing method”. Also known as toast. http://www.google.com/patents/US6080436
Reply ClareGuest 7 hours ago Thumb upThumb down 0My Irish immigrant great-great-great grandmother would have called that brown bread. I’ll take a patent to go
ReplyActually, you’re wrong! Android 4.0 only has one pre-determined path which is to the lock/unlock or camera. Clearly you’re basing this assumption on prior versions.
Reply hector manzanarezGuest 11 hours ago Thumb upThumb down 0too bad you drag to unlock and its an option not the only unlock method, I.e. face unlock
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91thekaz 11 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +9Wow. If Apple cannot convert Android users to iOS users they’ll just make it so we have no choice…
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29dcds 10 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +4After seeing this, I’d rather die and I’m willing to go thermodickwad on this.
Reply LEAP24-21Guest 10 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +2Sorry Apple but I’ll buy a Windows Phone :yaoming: , but AT&T has all the best WP smartphones :f7u12:. When am I going to find better WP smartphones in other carriers??!! :yuno:
Reply NaosGuest 11 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +8This is just wrong and inappropriate. Apple makes very expensive phones and they don’t have any cheaper alternatives in their portfolio. IPhone 4S is almost 2x more expensive than comparable Samsung Galaxy SII, and I don’t mention low budget Android phones which are 5x less expensive. Now Apple makes everything to block the alternatives that people were given by other companies. These are often cheaper alternatives and more open ones.
Giving permission to fill such patents as slide to unlock, or some obvious universal search (we have universal search in Windows or Linux for years already) is just counter-competitive and as a result money draining for customers.
Reply 94redraider133 8 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +1Not unless you are talking off contract. The 4s is 199 and the sgs2 is the same( at least here in the states anyway)
ReplyI hate Apple with a fucking passion. That company needs to be destroyed. They are bad for the industry, bad for consumers, bad for innovation. I swear the Devil runs this company.
Reply TristanGuest 11 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +21They are horrible for everyone but Apple…
A friend to innovation…sure…but an arch-enemy of progress.
It’s sickening.
Reply hindsGuest 11 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +13Apple is gonna be one of the most disliked company in the history of tech when its all said and done.Could you imagine if the I sheep ever came to there senses?!!!
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89R.S 11 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +12Someone (preferably a judge) needs to tell Apple to STFU already with these asinine lawsuits!
How is the slide to unlock still an issue or better yet, a Google issue?! Each manufacturer has it’s own unlock method doesn’t it? I know on my GS2, the entire lock screen wall paper moves. On HTC’s with the latest Sense, you either move a ring in any direction or an icon into the ring. Neither of these are even remotely similar to Apple’s slide the tab to the right in a predetermined (set) path.
Reply 29dcds 10 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +7Exactly!
I think Google should make an unlock mechanism in the shape of a key and keywhole, and you just need to rotate the key to the right or to the left.
That would leave Apple jealous because Google implemented a more magical and lifelike way.
Besides, after that Google could sue all locker manufacturers in the world all the way from the descendents of the first locker inventor.
Rant off.
Reply JonGarrettGuest 8 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +3nah,
they should make an android robot sliding his **** into the mouth of the likeness of steve jobs to unlock the device.
Reply steveGuest 11 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +12apple is now finished with me now. up until steves death i had everything apple. now its all back to pc and android. apple can rot now with their bullish lawsuits rrying to slow down androids rise. if you cant innovate, litigate.
ReplyPoint Blank Period…Screw Apple!!!
Reply MikeGuest 11 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +13Can you stop recommending people go to that damn FOSS Patents site run by an Apple Fan Boy?
ReplyAgreed. Every time I see the name Florian Mueller I throw up a little in my mouth.
Reply 94AsakuraZero 10 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +1… go and gtfo patents and such documents are just TL:DR if you put it on a web article, for pete’s sake kids now days know nothing about making a web or how to do their homeworks anymore
Reply pragmatousGuest 11 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +3I love android but Google is making a huge giant mistake sitting down in all this. Google needs to start doing something to defend android. Sometimes you can only fight fire with fire so why isn’t Google getting general broad patents also?
There is definitely a conspiracy going on because I don’t see any other company with such vague patents.
Reply LEAP24-21Guest 10 hours ago Thumb upThumb down -11I believe that google doesn’t want to fight fire with fire, because Apple is capable of creating their own search engine and ditch Google. That’s why also you see nature Google apps including Gmail in iOS. If Apple create their own search engine and combining this with their “Superior” marketing will make Google fall easilly. Microsoft couldn’t with Bing but Apple might do it.
Reply 29dcds 9 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +6Sure… that’s something they can create in the blink of an eye.
By jobs reaction, if they could do it, they would have done already.
Reply 94redraider133 8 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +1I think google knew something like this was going to happen that’s why they went out and bought more patents and moto. This could turn real ugly real quick and the consumers be the ones stuck forking the bills with higher phone costs because of this.
Reply F**kApple@gmail.comGuest 11 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +2Apple is gonna find themselves stareing down the barrel of some angry consumers soon. This crapple is just disgusting. I remember when i still wanted apple products even though it was just there computers that i felt like i needed…now they will never see my money. Apple must be muzzled!
ReplyFUUUUUUUUCK YOUUUUUUUU APPLE!!!!!!!!!!!
Reply 94AsakuraZero 10 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +1google purchase on motorola being approve or retired by this comming monday, now this, … apple are you nerveous of the behemoth that is comming for your ass ?
you think you can win re-hashing the lawsuits? shame on you apple, no shit your products sucks a lot now
Reply LEAP24-21Guest 10 hours ago Thumb upThumb down -1They are afraid of losting of never work in iPhones, because Motorola has the original Mobile Phone patent :yaoming:
Reply Adam CurtisGuest 10 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +2So I can only respond to two of these patents, because the others I don’t know anything about. But, for example, the “data tapping” one, my phones have been finding email addresses and phone numbers since my crappy LG flip phone in 2004. Slide to unlock has been in many previous phones to the iPhone, also debunking that patent. The other two I don’t know exactly what they say, so I can’t respond to them.
Reply John C.Guest 10 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +2Prior art exists! This is before the iphone was released: http://youtu.be/Tj-KS2kfIr0?t=3m59s
more: http://www.gottabemobile.com/2011/10/26/slide-to-unlock-patented-by-apple-despite-prior-art/
Reply 29dcds 10 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +1I believe it’s first-to-patent instead of the fair first-to-invent.
Reply 91thekaz 9 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +2right, but if a defendant can prove prior designs, I believe, at the very least, they can use that as a defense…
Reply 29dcds 9 hours ago Thumb upThumb down 0Yeah, I don’t know…
Reply DanielGuest 8 hours ago Thumb upThumb down -2No, patents are not valid if they are based on something that already exists. They have to be new.
Reply YasharGuest 5 hours ago Thumb upThumb down 0Please, educate yourself. For a while ago that puppet called Obama signed the paper that says “if you are the first one to patent it, then you own it”. Prior art is a history in the U.S now.
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88Hall Lo 10 hours ago Thumb upThumb down 0Srsly Apple?! Playing so cheap now? Imma let all my friends know about all these bs patent, let them know what the company that made their iPhones is now doing. Just wow.
ReplyCome on apple, play nice
Reply JeremYGuest 9 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +3Well, here’s to “Googlerola”
#toast
Paul AtreidesGuest 9 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +3If this slows down the Sprint Galaxy Nexus I will be pissed!
Reply 94redraider133 8 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +1I don’t think it would. I mean they could easily issue an update changing the unlock screen if that is one of the ones they have to change. Not sure about the others but seems like those had prior art so who knows though with how messed up the patent system and judges are..
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73Javier Bastardo 8 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +2Fear makes people do stupid stuff… even companies.
Reply jdGuest 8 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +1All my Apple loving friends would still think Apple’s suits are all well justified. Being a fan means you approve of their doing whatsoever.
ReplyIs it wrong for me to dislike a dead person? Because right now Steve Jobs just makes my blood boil, we are talking more about lawsuits instead of progress the tech world is making. Apple continues to look like a popular kid who’s scared of the new kid stealing his popularity so he gets his friends to bully him.
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0shabanksamani 7 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +1The U.S. Constitution permits the issuing of patents to regulate interstate trade and assist the flow of progress and back in the days of our founding fathers, patents really did serve that purpose, but now this method of patenting has become obsolete hindering the progress it was made to push.
The point is that this company that is being run by a fascist monopolistic trust builder should not be awarded these abominable pieces of wastepaper. They are the opponent of progress and advancement and if they do gain control of the technology industry, it will be the end of the market itself. Because without the availability of other products to compete with the “iPhone” or “iOS”, the market will fail as a result of severe drop in demand. And since the world we live in revolves around technology, the results can be catastrophic. These patents are harbingers of a depression far worse than that of the 1920s, simply because the greed of a simple dictatorial company who is so full of themselves (more like full of $#^*) and think that they are the most brilliant minds in the universe.
Maybe I’m taking this out of proportion, maybe not. But this whole thing is just ridiculous.
JohnGuest 7 hours ago Thumb upThumb down -1Why won’t “other products” be available? Also, if the lawsuit was so ridiculous (I understand you to mean “absurd, baseless”) the Judge would’ve dismissed it. Since he/she hasn’t, it could mean apple has a legitimate claim.
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96Nathan D. 6 hours ago Thumb upThumb down 0Wow so you couldn’t win in Germany so they go too the U.S. to see if they win. Well they are going to need so luck with Google growing patent collection. But I hope they fail because this crap has to end. If Google wins apple better run away with its tail between its leg because they need to learn when to stop and start doing thing differently if they don’t want to bite the dust.
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16Matthew Varallo 6 hours ago Thumb upThumb down 0I hate you apple! You haven’t had an original thought since the iPod and I still refuse to use one of those. You dedication to keeping your hardware/software strictly proprietary was your undoing by IBM in the 90′s and it will be your undoing by Android in the 2010′s!
Kindly Die Slowly
Reply andyakaaneudyGuest 6 hours ago Thumb upThumb down 0This is what I think a bout apple they are bored they are loosing their competitio so this is the only cra moustache snelling moustache snelli they have to do I mean is the app comes ou with iphone goo google can sued apple because apple in company and they the touch scree the touch screen phone thi this is bull crap from the company so why so why say
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79geiko 6 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +1Man, Apple loves buying Android phones and playing with them. They must dig really deep into these phones just looking for something to attack on.
I’m not sure how I feel about these. It always seems like Apple is trying to nitpick, but if that’s what they are willing to do, let them. Let Google and Android be the bigger person. I know I don’t want this platform to go after competitors for what seems like the sake of going after competitors. And it’s funny that only the premier Android phones and tablets that are the ones who infringe on Apple’s patents.
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7Jake Gall 4 hours ago Thumb upThumb down 0I say Google starts blocking thier services from all ios devices or sues Apple from all links that go to Google for searching on ios based software, then explain to ios users that Apple refuses to pay royalties to Google for being to use thier services on am ios device.
Reply hater on the rockGuest 2 hours ago Thumb upThumb down 0These patent war is out of control. Patent office should be looked at. I know apple hate android but damn hitting them with the low blow patenting things that android made famous and apple wants to take the glory. Why can’t they just get along I know its business but damn people can patent everything and no one can’t use it for example the birthday song no one wants to get sued for singing happy birthday or even better Paris Hilton with the famous quote “that’s hot”. Patents should be looked at before granting it to anybody
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66CTown 1 hour ago Thumb upThumb down 0It ain’t going to work. This is amur-a-ca!
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