

The iPhone 4S Dual-Antenna Design Could Infringe on 2 Samsung Patents - nextparadigms
http://www.droidmatters.com/news/iphone-4s-antenna-system-to-infringe-samsung-patents/

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monochromatic
Pretty weak journalism. The source article on ComOn mentions two "patents,"
but they're actually patent applications. One of them has gone abandoned, and
the other has already issued as U.S. Patent No. 7,643,853:
<http://www.google.com/patents?id=QsvOAAAAEBAJ>. There is no excuse for
linking to a published application when it has already issued as a patent.
There is _absolutely_ no excuse for linking to a published application that's
already gone abandoned.

It sounds like other U.S. and foreign patents may be in play here too, but the
articles don't give us the foggiest idea which ones they actually are. Come
on, people.

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foobarbazetc
Ahahaha. "Could". How about we don't publish unsubstantiated rumor based on
some trash talk from the guy behind "Antennagate" until the device is actually
available and we know what we're talking about?

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fpgeek
If true, this would completely change the balance-of-power in the Apple-
Samsung legal battles. To date, Samsung's response has been weakened because
the patents they've been asserting have generally been ones Samsung has agreed
to license as essential technology they've contributed to various mobile
standards. Apple has made the apparently odd mistake of not actually licensing
the patents in question (I'd have thought that would have been part of the
pre-lawsuit due diligence), but while Samsung might play some games on the
price of licensing, they aren't in a position to refuse to license them
entirely.

The new patents would be a very different kettle of fish. Using two antennas
is pretty clearly not essential technology (plenty of phones don't), so
Samsung would have a direct line of attack on the iPhone 4S. And since Apple
has demonstrated exactly how to get preliminary injunctions to keep your
competitors off of the market, it could get very interesting.

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jstevens85
>If true, this would completely change the balance-of-power in the Apple-
Samsung legal battles.

Don't think that's true. Worst-case scenario is that Apple releases a firmware
update that removes the switching functionality and forces the 4S antennae to
behave like an iPhone 4 (assuming the functionality can be turned off by
software). Patent litigation will then continue as before.

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fpgeek
The vast majority (all?) of technical (as opposed to trade dress / design
patents) Apple has asserted against Samsung are for software-only features
(e.g. spring-back scrolling, slide to unlock, photo gallery swiping) and that
strategy has been working well for them.

Even if Apple can get past the antenna patents with a software and/or firmware
upgrade (something I'm more skeptical about because, among other things,
redesigning your radio interface after release sounds reasonably difficult),
that still keeps the iPhone 4S off the market for the time it takes for them
to implement, test and deploy the upgrade, plus the time it takes Apple to
convince the relevant courts (over Samsung's opposition, of course). Since it
is October 10th, that's almost certainly going to seriously cut into the
holiday shopping season (one of the reasons Samsung is sweating on their side,
too).

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cletus
I think it's fair to say that in this crazy patent regime pretty much
_anything_ "could" infringe any number of patents.

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chauzer
Oh god, I hope so.

