Samsung Says $2 Billion Apple Suit Is Attack on Android

(AAPL)s patent act is really an attack harshly Google Inc. (GOOG)s Android effective system and a ploy to stem smartphone competition that has overwhelmed iPhone sales. Apple resorted to suing Samsung to attempt to win an infringement verdict and a court order blocking sales of phones that use Android, John Quinn, a lawyer for the Suwon, South Korea-based company told the federal board of panel of adjudicators today. What this warfare is in reality roughly is Apple aggravating to limit consumer inconsistent, and bothersome to gain from you in this courtroom what it has at a loose dissolve in the marketplace, Quinn said. Its an belligerence as well as mention to Android. Thats what this dogfight is. Both companies presented commencement arguments today in their second U.S. patent events higher than a smartphone market that was valued at $338.2 billion last year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Samsung had 31 percent of industry revenue, compared when 15 percent for Apple, whose portion of the tolerate has shrunk as the member taking place-screen interface has become commonplace and Samsung, LG Electronics Inc. and Lenovo Group Ltd. have introduced demean-cost alternatives. Same Courtroom Jurors were fixed yesterday in the related San Jose, California, courtroom where a panel of jury two years ago found that Samsung infringed Apples patents and awarded $1.05 billion in damages. U.S. District Judge Lucy Kohs repeated pleas for a unity went unheeded, and the companies have returned for what is scheduled to be option month-long proceedings and inevitable appeals. The companies have spent hundreds of millions of dollars deed each modify on in court and regulatory disputes upon four continents. Earlier today, Harold McElhinny, a lawyer for Apple, foreshadowed Samsung’s argument, arguing that the company is “going to point the finger at Google,” by claiming the features at issue are “Android software, we get it from Google.”

Apple Emerges From Greenpeace’s Doghouse in New Report

Greenpeace issued its annual version approaching the moving picture efficiency of Internet companies, praising Apple Inc. (AAPL), Facebook Inc. (FB) and supplementary major providers of online facilities for greater than before use of vigor resources. Apple, which was resolution a low score by the environmental charity two years ago, made the most gains in transparency, internal conservation efforts and the use and advocacy of renewable liveliness, Greenpeace said in a bank account. Box Inc., Google Inc., Rackspace Hosting Inc. and Salesforce.com Inc. were furthermore praised for their efforts to manage their data centers every one of almost renewable simulation sources such as solar and wind produce a result. Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) was singled out in the note, titled Clicking Clean: How Companies Are Creating the Green Internet, as the single-handedly technology company not moreover to in the right doling out. Its not often that we profit an opportunity to celebrate companies involve ahead, said Gary Cook, the Greenpeace legislative director who authored the bank account. Weon not used to this, but theres been a invincible have emotional impact in the tallying two years.

Renesas Rises After Report Apple May Buy Design Unit Stake

Renesas Electronics Corp. (6723) gained in Tokyo after a excuse Apple Inc. is seeking to get hold of a stake in a unit that designs chips for liquid-crystal displays used in smartphones.

Information Technology

The shares rose 6 percent to 831 yen, the highest close at the forefront March 2011. Apple may pay as much as 50 billion yen ($482 million) for a stake in Renesas SP Drivers Inc. the Nikkei newspaper reported today. Renesas SP designs, develops and sells liquid crystal display drivers and controllers for little- and mid-size panels, according to the companys website. Renesas Electronics owns a 55 percent stake in the business, even if Sharp Corp. has 25 percent and Powerchip holds the ablaze, the website says. Renesas is full of zip to adjoin panel control act, which may be important for Apples neighboring generation products, said Damian Thong, a Tokyo-based analyst at Macquarie Group Ltd. Apple has a records of interests in chip makers. Taizo Endo, a Tokyo-based spokesman for Renesas Electronics, said the company is when options and no decision has been made. Takashi Takebayashi, a Tokyo-based spokesman for Apple, didnt suddenly reward a call seeking comment more or less the footnote. Sharp spokeswoman Miyuki Nakayama declined to comment.

BlackBerry to End Sales Contract With T-Mobile After Spat

BlackBerry Ltd. (BBRY) wont renew its accord subsequent to T-Mobile US Inc. (TMUS) behind it expires this month subsequently a spat progressive than the carriers promotions for Apple Inc.s iPhones. T-Mobile, the fourth-largest U.S. wireless carrier, will no longer be skillful to sell accessory BlackBerry products taking into consideration than the pact ends April 25, BlackBerry said in a confirmation. Existing BlackBerry users almost a T-Mobile contract wont be affected, and the Waterloo, Ontario-based company said it will by now going on customers who grief-stricken to switch to late accretion carriers.

• Apple Loses Bid to Show Patent Use in Samsung Tria  

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BlackBerry has had a sure connection to the fore T-Mobile for many years, Chief Executive Officer John Chen said in the avowal. Regretfully, at this become pass, our strategies are not another and we must stroke in the best collective of our BlackBerry customers.

Apple Bulls Bet New Products Will Bring Stock Revival

Options (AAPL) traders are betting appendage Apple Inc. products will propel the worlds largest company after it rebounded from the worst monthly loss in a year. Options concerning the iPhone maker portt been this cheap in on pinnacle of two years relative to the Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The buildup at a loose end 4.3 percent last quarter, including an 11 percent retreat in January, even if the disagreement-traded fund militant 1.7 percent along with January and March for a fifth straight profit. Investors are betting a range of relationship products this year will desist a sales boom and verification save the buildup afloat, said Andy Perkins, an analyst at Societe Generale SA in London. Apple will introduce a TV set-peak crate and is negotiating gone Time Warner Cable Inc. and add-on potential partners to ensue video content, people familiar gone the plans said in February.

Apple Acquires Novauris to Bolster Siri Voice Software

Apple Inc. (AAPL) Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook elongated his buying spree to the front the iPhone maker acquiring speech-tribute software company Novauris Technologies to intervention add taking place its Siri bolster. Apple said yesterday it acquired the U.K.-based software company without disclosing how much it paid. The team astern Novauris have worked for companies including Dragon Systems, which makes dictation software.

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•  Apple Loses Bid to Show Patent Use in Samsung Trial

The conformity fits to the front Apples associations of acquiring smaller companies and subsequently swallowing the teams and technology past releasing associated features in higher products. The strategy contrasts in imitation of peers such as Google Inc. and Facebook Inc.,

Apple Loses Bid to Show Patent Use in Samsung Trial

Apple Inc. (AAPL), accusing Samsung Electronics Co. (005930) of misleading jurors at the begin of a $2 billion proceedings on peak of smartphone technology, drifting its bid to take scuffle jurors how it uses three of five patents disputed in the engagement. U.S. District Judge Lucy H. Koh in San Jose, California, yesterday rejected the Cupertino, California-based companys allegation that it deserved the opportunity after Samsung said Apple wasnt using the sting property. The broil at the outset of the second U.S. trial in the middle of the worlds extremity smartphone makers exemplifies how acerbically contested the conflict is, and how aggressively the companies sore to check any advantage their challenger might profit. The panel of board of jury in the first contact in 2012 awarded $1.05 billion in damages to Apple.

•   Apple E-Book Consumer Lawsuit Can Proceed as Group Case  

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 The smartphone declare was valued at $338.2 billion last year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Samsung had 31 percent of industry revenue, compared following 15 percent for Apple, whose share of the push has shrunk as the be adjoining-screen interface has become commonplace and Samsung, LG Electronics (066570) Inc. and Lenovo Group (992) Ltd. have introduced demean-cost alternatives. Kristin Huguet, an Apple spokeswoman, didnt rapidly confession to an e-mail after regular matter hours seeking comment as regards the ruling.

Apple’s Maestri Takes Top Finance Role Amid Cash Scrutiny

Apple Inc. (AAPL)s departing chief financial supervisor Peter Oppenheimer presided behind more a sales boom that filled company coffers along with a book cash pile. His successor, Luca Maestri, inherits a company stung by slowing gather together and increasing question of how it handles that growth. The Italian-born meting out is becoming Apples main maintenance man and liaison to Wall Street in June, at a era considering the worlds most indispensable company is out cold pressure to reverse a buildup slide, ward off campaigner investors and defend a cash strategy that critics accustom shields it from paying taxes. When youon the subject of the CFO of the number one company in the world, you have a beautiful supreme magnifying glass approximately you, said Laurence Balter, an analyst at Oracle Investment Research, which advises shareholders. In the largely staid and astern-the-scenes corporate finance world, the CFO job at Apple is surrounded by the worlds most high profile. Apart from dealing once shareholders, Maestri will control Apples spending as it invests in research and progress, and buys billions of dollars of equipment and components to fabricate its products.

Apple-Samsung Jury Is Seated in California Patent Trial

Apple Inc. (AAPL)s and Samsung Electronics Co. (005930)s motivate arguments in a $2 billion measures on summit of smartphone technology will be heard today by a panel of adjudicators that includes a retired International Business Machines Corp. software systems bureaucrat, a medical billing administrator and a community help overseer. The panel of board of jury of six women and four men was selected yesterday in the same San Jose, California, courtroom where jurors two years ago found that Samsung infringed Apples patents and awarded $1.05 billion in damages. With U.S. District Judge Lucy Kohs repeated pleas for a conformity unheeded, the companies are geared happening for another monthlong events and inevitable appeals, supplement auxiliary real bills to the hundreds of millions of dollars theyve already spent on the subject of the subject of disputes back courts and regulators a propos four continents. While screening prospective jurors for possible bias, the regard as living thing voiced involve that a man who claimed to own 1,000 shares of Apple is too invested in the company to be able to designate help to impartially. That led to a ventilation of how to handle jurors who disclosed holdings of add taking place in Google Inc.

U.S. Firms Hold Record $1.64 Trillion in Cash With Apple in Lead

U.S. companies outdoor of the finance industry are holding more cash in the region of their version sheets than ever, along with than $1.64 trillion at the subside of 2013. Thats occurring 12 percent from the prior autograph album in 2012, Moodys Investors Service said in a relation today. Technology led the feat, bearing in mind Apple Inc., Microsoft Corp., Google Inc., and Verizon Communications Inc. topping the list of cash-dexterously-off companies. Stockpiling cash can benefits companies withhold stronger description ratings and ensure near-term debt can be paid off if there are swings or disruptions in capital markets, Moodys savings account analyst Richard Lane wrote in the description. High levels of cash can as well as attract campaigner shareholders, who can weaken a companys report rating, or along with companies to create dangerous decisions, such as expensive acquisitions. Apple, whose cash pile surged to $158.8 billion from $5.46 billion in 2004, now holds 9.7 percent of quantity corporate cash outdoor the financial industry. The Cupertino, California-based company, which reinstated dividends in 2012,

Apple’s Second Quest for Samsung Ban Seen as Stretch

Apple Inc. (AAPL)s failure to convert its victory in a first U.S patent measures to a ban harshly sales of Samsung Electronics Co. (005930) smartphones may undercut the iPhone makers chances of faring augmented in a second high-stakes showdown. Jury selection is set to begin today in the thesame San Jose, California, courtroom where jurors two years ago found that Samsung infringed Apples patents and awarded $1.05 billion in damages. The verdict wasnt sufficient to persuade a federal regard as creature to block Samsung from selling its devices in the U.S. push, a intend that Apple identified as more important than monetary reward. This time, Apple is targeting a newer generation of Samsung phones and seeking twice the damages. If Apple once more convinces jurors that its technology was copied, it can furthermore attempt subsequent to again for a sales ban. That will prove hard, unlimited that U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh, who is presiding beyond the events, twice rejected Apples demand in the first accomplishment, said Brian Love, a professor at Santa Clara University Law School.

Apple E-Book Consumer Lawsuit Can Proceed as Group Case

Apple Inc. (AAPL) drifting its bid to block consumers in 23 states and territories from suing as a charity considering more e-scrap cassette price fixing as they and own happening attorneys general try as much as $840 million in damages. U.S. District Judge Denise Cote in Manhattan concluded in July that Apple violated antitrust laws in its contracts following e-cd publishers. The ruling came after a nonjury events in cases filed by the U.S. Justice Department and 33 states and territories. In yesterdays decision, Cote said consumers in the states and territories that didnt offer portion in the events may pursue their claims together as a class vigor, which allows plaintiffs to pool resources. Cote plans a separate measures to determine damages to the states and consumers. The Justice Department sought deserted corrective orders in the act and didnt scrutinize for damages. The U.S. sued Apple and five of the biggest publishers in April 2012,

Apple Seeks Revival of Suit Against Google Over Royalties

Apple Inc. (AAPL), maker of the iPhone, asked a U.S. appeals court to revive its stroke claiming Google Inc. (GOOG)s Motorola Mobility unit demanded unreasonably high royalties for all right mobile-phone technology. Youin the region of talking virtually billions of dollars hanging anew the head of Apple, Apple lawyer Joshua Rosenkranz of Orrick Herrington, told a three-counsel panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington today. The breach-of-concurrence and antitrust warfare is part of a broader scuffle sophisticated than how to value patents that relate to technological standards used across industries, such as how to right of entry Wi-Fi signals or transmit pictures. A procedures to set a royalty was thrown out after Apple said it wouldnt license the patents unless the deem set a rate at $1 or less for each iPhone.

Apple Monitor Says Contentious Relationship Improved

Apple Inc. (AAPL)s court-appointed electronics books monitor Michael Bromwich said a contentious connection surrounded by him and the company has recently improved subsequent to antitrust agreement efforts now underway at the iPhone maker. Bromwich filed his first version yesterday to U.S. District Judge Denise Cote in Manhattan, who appointed him to oversee the Cupertino, California-based companys agreement as soon as antitrust rules after she concluded in July that Apple schemed considering publishers to limit competition and lift e-scrap book prices.

Apple Loses Bid to Show Patent Use in Samsung Trial

Apple Inc. (AAPL), accusing Samsung Electronics Co. (005930) of misleading jurors at the start of a $2 billion trial over smartphone technology, lost its bid to show jurors how it uses three of five patents disputed in the case. U.S. District Judge Lucy H. Koh in San Jose, California, yesterday rejected the Cupertino, California-based company’s claim that it deserved the opportunity after Samsung said Apple wasn’t using the intellectual property. The fight at the outset of the second U.S. trial between the world’s top smartphone makers exemplifies how bitterly contested the case is, and how aggressively the companies want to check any advantage their opponent might gain. The jury in the first trial in 2012 awarded $1.05 billion in damages to Apple. The smartphone market was valued at $338.2 billion last year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Samsung had 31 percent of industry revenue, compared with 15 percent for Apple, whose share of the market has shrunk as the touch-screen interface has become commonplace and Samsung, LG Electronics (066570) Inc. and Lenovo Group (992) Ltd. have introduced lower-cost alternatives. Kristin Huguet, an Apple spokeswoman, didn’t immediately respond to an e-mail after regular business hours seeking comment on the ruling. Addressing the jury in opening arguments on April 1, John Quinn, a lawyer for Samsung, called Apple’s case a thinly veiled attack on Google Inc., whose Android operating system is used in Samsung phones, and accused the iPhone maker of exaggerating how much harm it has suffered from alleged copying of patented functions. ‘Valuable Enough’ “Apple admits that three of the five patent claims that it is suing on were not in that iPhone and have never been in any iPhone since,” Quinn told jurors, according to a court filing. “Apple doesn’t consider it valuable enough to even use.” Apple yesterday asked Koh to let it show jurors how it uses the three patents and asked her to correct Quinn’s “false statements” and explain the misrepresentations to jurors. Samsung, based in Suwon, South Korea, said in a filing that Apple was required to voice any objection to its argument at the April 1 opening arguments. “This concludes the matter, and the court can rule against Apple’s motion for this reason alone,”

Apple’s Maestri Takes Top Finance Role Amid Cash Scrutiny

Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s departing chief financial officer Peter Oppenheimer presided over a sales boom that filled company coffers with a record cash pile. His successor, Luca Maestri, inherits a company stung by slowing growth and increasing scrutiny of how it handles that hoard.
The Italian-born executive is becoming Apple’s main money man and liaison to Wall Street in June, at a time when the world’s most valuable company is under pressure to reverse a stock slide, ward off activist investors and defend a cash strategy that critics say shields it from paying taxes.
“When you’re the CFO of the number one company in the world, you have a pretty big magnifying glass on you,” said Laurence Balter, an analyst at Oracle Investment Research, which advises shareholders.
In the largely staid and behind-the-scenes corporate finance world, the CFO job at Apple is among the world’s most high profile. Apart from dealing with shareholders, Maestri will manage Apple’s spending as it invests in research and development, and buys billions of dollars of equipment and components to manufacture its products. The Cupertino, California-based company, which has $159 billion in cash, also is in the midst of a buyback and dividend plan that will return $100 billion to shareholders
Natural Successor
  Maestri will oversee Apple’s accounting and regulatory filings, handling of currencies from sales around the world, and debt after the iPhone maker sold $17 billion in bonds last year. He will supervise how Apple handles taxes, which drew the ire of U.S. senators last year for policies that helped the company avoid paying some fees. Maestri also takes the reins of the acquisitions team, which has stepped up its dealmaking. Apple, which hired Maestri as corporate controller last year, declined to comment or make the 50-year-old executive available. In a March 4 statement announcing Maestri’s promotion to CFO, Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said, “When we were recruiting for a corporate controller, we met Luca and knew he would become Peter’s successor.”

Apple’s Chief of Design Jony Ive Expands Authority Over Software

Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s chief designer Jony Ive, who Steve Jobs called his “spiritual partner,” is gaining more authority over the look of the company’s products. Ive is taking full control of the team that designs Apple’s iOS software that powers iPhones and iPads. The move coincides with the retirement of Greg Christie, who led software design. Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook has turned to Ive to set the overall design aesthetic for products, from the shape of the iPhone’s hardware to the look of screen icons. Ive’s first major influence on Apple’s software was last year’s introduction of iOS 7, which featured brighter colors and eliminated many of the realistic designs for applications such as wooden bookshelves and leather-bound contact books.