This week again marked the intensifying battle of patents in the mobile world with HTC extending its lawsuit against Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) to include nine more patents it recently acquired from Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) and Apple itself winning a second injunction against Samsung blocking the Galaxy Tab sales in Germany. Apple has now extended the legal effort to bar Samsung’s devices to Japan. [1]
Research in Motion’s (NASDAQ:RIMM) stock rallied about 6-7% this week as activist shareholder Jaguar Financial Corp. urged RIM to consider a sale of the company or a sale of its patents in order to maximize shareholder value, and also due to the upgrades announced by a number of brokerage firms on RIM stock.
Here are some of the key updates from the week on these names.
Apple
HTC had acquired these patents from Google, which in turn acquired it from Motorola Mobility (NYSE:MMI), HP (NYSE:HPQ) and OpenWave over the last year. Previously HTC counter-sued Apple in May when Apple accused HTC of infringing on 20 patents related to the iPhone with its own touch-screen devices. [2] HTC sued Apple again in August claiming that Apple products infringe on three HTC patents. [3]
Apple’s battle against Samsung accentuated this week when Apple won a second injunction against Samsung claiming that Samsung had infringed upon Apple’s patents and that the Galaxy line of smartphones and tablets “slavishly” copied the iPhone and iPad’s design, look and feel. The result was that it forced Samsung to pull its new tablet Galaxy Tab 7.7 from Europe’s biggest consumer electronics fair, IFA Berlin. Apple had previously won a court ruling to block Samsung’s tablet in Germany, and forced it to delay the launch of the device in Australia.
See Apple Gets Breathing Room After Samsung Tablet Pulled from Electronics Fair
RIM
In the past month RIM’s stock has rallied 35% showing some signs of life as investors see either a turnaround or a buyout in the offing. Since Google acquired Motorola Mobility at a huge premium, many now believe that struggling players like RIM or Nokia (NYSE:NOK) might be good buy-out candidates — or at least targets for their product and patent portfolios.
A number of brokerage firms have upgraded RIM with essentially the premise that RIM is oversold and that there is value and management can unlock it.
See RIM Rallies as Activist Investor and Upgrades Bring Life to Stock and Upgrade Gives RIM’s Stock Life, QNX Still the Key
Notes:- Apple taps Japan court to ban sales of Samsung phones, Reuters, September 8th, 2011 [↩]
- Apple sues HTC for alleged infringement of 20 iPhone patents, AppleInsider, March 2nd, 2011 [↩]
- New HTC suit accuses Apple’s Mac, iPhone, iPad of patent infringement, AppleInsider, August 16th, 2011 [↩]
