British Telecom is claiming billions of dollars of damages from Google in a lawsuit filed in the US which says that the Android mobile operating system infringes a number of the telecoms company's key patents.
The lawsuit, filed in the state of Delaware in the US, relates to six patents which BT says are infringed by the Google Maps, Google Music, location-based advertising and Android Market products on Android.
If successful, the suit could mean that Google or mobile handset makers will have to pay BT royalties on each Android handset in use and which they produce.
That could be expensive: Android is presently the most successful smartphone platform in the world, with its handsets making more than 40% of sales, equating to more than 40m produced every quarter. Google recently said that more than 500,000 Android devices are activated every day.
BT's move – which could also be repeated in Europe – means that Google is now fending off lawsuits against Android from six large publicly-traded companies, according to Florian Müller, an independent expert who follows the twists and turns of international patent litigation. BT joins Apple. Oracle, Microsoft, eBay and Gemalto, a digital security company.
A BT spokesman told the Guardian: "BT can confirm that it has commenced legal proceedings against Google by filing a claim with the US District Court of Delaware for patent infringement.
"The patents in question relate to technologies which underpin location-based services, navigation and guidance information and personalised access to services and content. BT's constant investment in innovation has seen it develop a large portfolio of patents which are valuable corporate assets."
A Google spokesman said: "We believe these claims are without merit, and we will defend vigorously against them."
In the filing, BT cites a number of US patents which were applied for and, apart from one, awarded in the 1990s which it says Android is infringing. BT has a long history in the mobile business, having been one of the original providers of mobile phone services with the Cellnet joint venture in the UK in the 1980s.
Müller says: "Android already had more than enough intellectual problems anyway. Now Google faces one more large organisation that believes its rights are infringed. BT probably wants to continue to be able to do business with all mobile device makers and therefore decided to sue Google itself."
Google is fending off multiple lawsuits relating to Android, while a number of handset makers including HTC and Samsung have yielded to patent claims by Microsoft against Android and are paying a per-handset fee for every one they make.
Many of the alleged infringements made by Android would also seem to apply to Apple's iPhone and iPad mobile devices – such as the "Busuioc Patent", which detects whether a mobile device is connected to a cellular or Wi-Fi network and allows streaming dependent on that.
Apple's iTunes Match service, launched in the US earlier this year and last Friday in the UK, also detects what sort of connection the device has before allowing file uploads or downloads. It is not known whether Apple has licensed use of the systems from BT, or whether BT has decided they do not infringe its patents, or whether litigation is pending.
BT points in the lawsuit to its large patent portfolio, from research at its Adastral Park centre near Ipswich, and that it has a portfolio of more than 10,000 patents.
The new lawsuit marks a return to attempts by BT to monetise its patent portfolio over web use.
In 2000 it asserted a patent claim in the US against Prodigy, one of the biggest internet service providers, claiming a patent on the hyperlink – the method by which people follow links between pages on the web. But embarrassingly for BT the claim was rejected when a judge said that no jury could find that the patent was infringed.
Thursday, 22 December 2011
Friday, 16 December 2011
Apple launches iTunes Match in Britain
iTunes Match, which was announced by Apple in June, was launched in the US last month.
For £21.99 a year users can back-up their iTunes library to Apple's cloud servers and download songs to their iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. Songs that Apple can 'match' to its iTunes catalogue are automatically added to iCloud, without needing to be uploaded.
Users need only upload those songs that aren't available from iTunes. That feature, which required negotiation with record labels, makes Apple's service faster than rival services from Amazon and Google, neither of which has yet launched in Britain.
Robert Ashcroft, chief executive of PRS for Music, said: "We issued our first licence for a cloud music locker service in 2010 and are proud to be the first copyright collecting society to license Apple’s new, cloud-based services. We welcome these enhancements to the way in which people can enjoy their digital music collections and look forward to the prospect of their generating further growth in the sales of music through the iTunes store and increase royalties to the creators we represent."
iTunes Match songs are available in high quality - 256 kilobits per second - even if the user's original was in a lower quality. The service is limited to a maximum of 25,000 songs and a total of 10 synced devices.
The service was announced at Apple's WWDC event in San Francisco last June. Steve Jobs, the late Apple chief executive, said iCloud was the company's “next big insight”
For £21.99 a year users can back-up their iTunes library to Apple's cloud servers and download songs to their iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. Songs that Apple can 'match' to its iTunes catalogue are automatically added to iCloud, without needing to be uploaded.
Users need only upload those songs that aren't available from iTunes. That feature, which required negotiation with record labels, makes Apple's service faster than rival services from Amazon and Google, neither of which has yet launched in Britain.
Robert Ashcroft, chief executive of PRS for Music, said: "We issued our first licence for a cloud music locker service in 2010 and are proud to be the first copyright collecting society to license Apple’s new, cloud-based services. We welcome these enhancements to the way in which people can enjoy their digital music collections and look forward to the prospect of their generating further growth in the sales of music through the iTunes store and increase royalties to the creators we represent."
iTunes Match songs are available in high quality - 256 kilobits per second - even if the user's original was in a lower quality. The service is limited to a maximum of 25,000 songs and a total of 10 synced devices.
The service was announced at Apple's WWDC event in San Francisco last June. Steve Jobs, the late Apple chief executive, said iCloud was the company's “next big insight”
Tuesday, 13 December 2011
Google Offers Gripping View of Japanese Devastation Via Street Views
http://www.pcworld.com/article/246131/google_offers_gripping_view_of_japanese_devastation_via_street_views.html
Wednesday, 7 December 2011
Microsoft Windows app store announced
In a move that follows Apple, which successfully launched its Mac App Store in January, Microsoft confirmed that it will launch a Windows Store to provide applications for Windows 8 computers.
Developers will be able to submit their apps to the store from late February next year. Apps can be free but the minimum price for those that charge will be $1.49. Microsoft will take a 30 per cent commission from app sales - a percentage that has become the standard as app stores have launched for mobile and desktop apps. If an app generates more than $20,000, Microsoft will drop its commission to 20 per cent.
The company said it was offering a more flexible system for developers than rival stores.
"Ensuring the visibility of apps and the efficiency and fluidity of app discovery became the fundamental building block of our Store design," said Ted Dworkin, partner program manager for the Windows Store, in a blogpost.
To aid discoverability, Windows Store apps will be indexed by search engines and developers can link from their website directly to their app by inserting a line of code.
Microsoft will charge a commission for applications that use its in-app purchase system but companies are free to use their own payment system without paying commission to Microsoft.
The company showed The Daily Telegraph's Windows 8 app as an example of an app that can use its own subscription system.
Windows 8 is expected to be released in beta form by the end of February. Microsoft has not confirmed a date for the full release of the new operating system but it is thought that it will be available before the end of 2012.
Developers will be able to submit their apps to the store from late February next year. Apps can be free but the minimum price for those that charge will be $1.49. Microsoft will take a 30 per cent commission from app sales - a percentage that has become the standard as app stores have launched for mobile and desktop apps. If an app generates more than $20,000, Microsoft will drop its commission to 20 per cent.
The company said it was offering a more flexible system for developers than rival stores.
"Ensuring the visibility of apps and the efficiency and fluidity of app discovery became the fundamental building block of our Store design," said Ted Dworkin, partner program manager for the Windows Store, in a blogpost.
To aid discoverability, Windows Store apps will be indexed by search engines and developers can link from their website directly to their app by inserting a line of code.
Microsoft will charge a commission for applications that use its in-app purchase system but companies are free to use their own payment system without paying commission to Microsoft.
The company showed The Daily Telegraph's Windows 8 app as an example of an app that can use its own subscription system.
Windows 8 is expected to be released in beta form by the end of February. Microsoft has not confirmed a date for the full release of the new operating system but it is thought that it will be available before the end of 2012.
Wednesday, 30 November 2011
Mark Zuckerberg: Facebook founder admits 'bunch of mistakes' amid privacy u-turn
Writing in a rare blog post, the social network site's founder and chief executive said he “founded Facebook on the idea that people want to share and connect with people in their lives, but to do this everyone needs complete control over who they share with at all times”.
But he added that while overall the site had a good history of being open about privacy, "I am the first to admit that we have made a bunch of mistakes".
He also admitted that the site's executives "can always do better" on the controversial issue.
His comments came after the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) accused Facebook of systematically invading user privacy on seven specific counts, including when the social network had changed settings to make more of its users' information publicly visible.
The new plan to settle the compaints marks a major step on the social network’s road to its initial public offering, which had been widely expected to value the company at $100 billion.
Facebook will now be “required to obtain consumers’ affirmative express consent before enacting changes that override their privacy preferences”.
This will effectively make all major future privacy control changes opt in. Facebook must also submit to privacy audits every 2 years for the next 20 years, stop any access to content on deactivated accounts, and present its policies on privacy or security of user data more clearly.
Although new settings can apparently be added without requiring users to opt in, new services will now require users to explicitly give their consent if they are to take part. Facebook Places, for example, which allows users to check-in online to physical locations, was cited as an example of a service that Facebook would not now be able to turn on for all users without their consent.
Zuckerberg conceded that the site had made major mistakes with users’ privacy, citing the launch of the ‘Beacon’ system which showed users’ friends their shopping habits, and the company’s previous changes to privacy policies.
He claimed, however, that “When I built the first version of Facebook, almost nobody I knew wanted a public page on the internet. That seemed scary. But as long as they could make their page private, they felt safe sharing with their friends online. Control was key”.
Zuckerberg put the social network’s success down to making it “easy for people to feel comfortable sharing things about their real lives”.
“Overall, I think we have a good history of providing transparency and control over who can see your information,” he wrote.
"That said, I'm the first to admit that we've made a bunch of mistakes. In particular, I think that a small number of high profile mistakes, like Beacon four years ago and poor execution as we transitioned our privacy model two years ago, have often overshadowed much of the good work we've done.
"I also understand that many people are just naturally skeptical of what it means for hundreds of millions of people to share so much personal information online, especially using any one service."
He added: "Even if our record on privacy were perfect, I think many people would still rightfully question how their information was protected. It's important for people to think about this, and not one day goes by when I don't think about what it means for us to be the stewards of this community and their trust.
Facebook has always been committed to being transparent about the information you have stored with us – and we have led the internet in building tools to give people the ability to see and control what they share.
"But we can also always do better. I'm committed to making Facebook the leader in transparency and control around privacy."
The new agreement with the FTC “means we're making a clear and formal long-term commitment to do the things we've always tried to do and planned to keep doing - giving you tools to control who can see your information and then making sure only those people you intend can see it”, Zuckerberg said.
The social network will now also have two Chief Privacy Officers; former lawyer Erin Egan will be responsible for Policy, while Michael Richter will become Chief Privacy Officer, Products. Richter is currently Facebook's Chief Privacy Counsel.
Overall, the changes are set to alter Facebook’s development of new products, as well as its attitude to users. FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz said ”Facebook’s innovation does not have to come at the expense of consumer privacy. The FTC action will ensure it will not.”
The proposals will now be put to a 30-day consultation period. They are likely to meet the majority of the concerns raised be European privacy regulators, although those issues remain unresolved.
But he added that while overall the site had a good history of being open about privacy, "I am the first to admit that we have made a bunch of mistakes".
He also admitted that the site's executives "can always do better" on the controversial issue.
His comments came after the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) accused Facebook of systematically invading user privacy on seven specific counts, including when the social network had changed settings to make more of its users' information publicly visible.
The new plan to settle the compaints marks a major step on the social network’s road to its initial public offering, which had been widely expected to value the company at $100 billion.
Facebook will now be “required to obtain consumers’ affirmative express consent before enacting changes that override their privacy preferences”.
This will effectively make all major future privacy control changes opt in. Facebook must also submit to privacy audits every 2 years for the next 20 years, stop any access to content on deactivated accounts, and present its policies on privacy or security of user data more clearly.
Although new settings can apparently be added without requiring users to opt in, new services will now require users to explicitly give their consent if they are to take part. Facebook Places, for example, which allows users to check-in online to physical locations, was cited as an example of a service that Facebook would not now be able to turn on for all users without their consent.
Zuckerberg conceded that the site had made major mistakes with users’ privacy, citing the launch of the ‘Beacon’ system which showed users’ friends their shopping habits, and the company’s previous changes to privacy policies.
He claimed, however, that “When I built the first version of Facebook, almost nobody I knew wanted a public page on the internet. That seemed scary. But as long as they could make their page private, they felt safe sharing with their friends online. Control was key”.
Zuckerberg put the social network’s success down to making it “easy for people to feel comfortable sharing things about their real lives”.
“Overall, I think we have a good history of providing transparency and control over who can see your information,” he wrote.
"That said, I'm the first to admit that we've made a bunch of mistakes. In particular, I think that a small number of high profile mistakes, like Beacon four years ago and poor execution as we transitioned our privacy model two years ago, have often overshadowed much of the good work we've done.
"I also understand that many people are just naturally skeptical of what it means for hundreds of millions of people to share so much personal information online, especially using any one service."
He added: "Even if our record on privacy were perfect, I think many people would still rightfully question how their information was protected. It's important for people to think about this, and not one day goes by when I don't think about what it means for us to be the stewards of this community and their trust.
Facebook has always been committed to being transparent about the information you have stored with us – and we have led the internet in building tools to give people the ability to see and control what they share.
"But we can also always do better. I'm committed to making Facebook the leader in transparency and control around privacy."
The new agreement with the FTC “means we're making a clear and formal long-term commitment to do the things we've always tried to do and planned to keep doing - giving you tools to control who can see your information and then making sure only those people you intend can see it”, Zuckerberg said.
The social network will now also have two Chief Privacy Officers; former lawyer Erin Egan will be responsible for Policy, while Michael Richter will become Chief Privacy Officer, Products. Richter is currently Facebook's Chief Privacy Counsel.
Overall, the changes are set to alter Facebook’s development of new products, as well as its attitude to users. FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz said ”Facebook’s innovation does not have to come at the expense of consumer privacy. The FTC action will ensure it will not.”
The proposals will now be put to a 30-day consultation period. They are likely to meet the majority of the concerns raised be European privacy regulators, although those issues remain unresolved.
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