Microsoft is being sued for ‘willfully’ ignoring holographic imaging patents

Microsoft’s HoloLens just ran into some legal issues in the US. The company’s mixed-reality device is at the center of a patent infringement lawsuit filed by HoloTouch for infringing on two of its patents. The tech is built to let users interact with holographic images. According to the Connecticut-based company, Microsoft “willfully” knew of and ignored HoloTouch’s patented technology, which have been dated back to over a decade already. The company is seeking a jury trial and triple damages (without the specific amount being outlined).

In the filing, it’s said HoloTouch first approached Microsoft back in 2006 for a partnership but never heard from them. Microsoft later on allegedly filed its own patent in 2013, which cited HoloTouch’s patents as “prior art,” meaning the company was aware of HoloTouch’s work. According to HoloTouch, they reached out again in 2015 and 2016 to discuss a licensing agreement for the patents but didn’t hear from Microsoft then either. If proven, this could cause some financial damage to Microsoft, especially with the company’s patents extending beyond the US to include Canada, Australia, the UK, and Japan.

Source: Engadget

Nintendo faces lawsuit for patent infringement over the Switch's controller design

Gamevice, a third-party hardware developer, believes Nintendo is ripping off its design and infringing on its patent rights with the Switch's Joy-Con controllers. The company filed its patent infringement complaint with the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on Wednesday claiming the design of the controllers are too similar to their own Wikipad and Gamevice controller. The company wants Nintendo to stop production of the Switch and to pay for damages. 

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Microsoft and Samsung reach agreement over royalty payments issue

Microsoft and Samsung have been having a rather public dispute over patent royalty payments for a while already. But that seems to be over now as both companies have announced that they have privately settled the issue. The new terms they have struck haven’t been revealed publicly though.

In 2011, Samsung and Microsoft signed a licensing deal that would have the South Korean brand pay royalties based on its Android mobile devices sale. That went on smoothly until August 2014 when Microsoft threatened to sue Samsung over unpaid late fees on royalties. Samsung wasn’t paying Microsoft because of their acquisition of Nokia. They reasoned that the purchase turned them into a hardware competitor. But now that seems to be over and done with.

Source: Samsung + Microsoft | Via: SlashGear

HTC's flagship M7 smartphone leaks, tempts litigation with iPhone-like design

Separated at birth?: The Apple iPhone 5 and a leaked image of HTC's flagship M7 smartphone

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

HTC's purported flagship smartphone, the M7, has apparently leaked a month before its expected debut at Mobile World Congress. This is a monster 4.7-inch Android smartphone powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 Pro expected to have 32GB of storage and 2GB or RAM, but what really catches one's attention is how similar it looks to Apple's iPhone 5.

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