28th February , 2010

Xerox Sues Google & Yahoo over Search Patent

Google and Yahoo are facing a lawsuit brought about by Xerox, the copier maker over its search query patents.

According to Xerox, Google’s AdWords and AdSense and Yahoo’s Search Marketing, YPN allegedly infringe on one of Xerox’s patent which automatically or mechanically generates a query based on keyword searches. The other patent that Xerox alleges that the companies infringe relates to a method and apparatus for the integration of information and knowledge.

Xerox had filed the lawsuit against Google and Yahoo on 19th February in the federal court in Wilmington, Delaware, and seeks compensation and also wishes to prevent Google and Yahoo from using the alleged infringed technology.

Google and Yahoo however denied infringing search technology and information integration patents owned by Xerox and vowed to defend themselves in the court.

Life saving GPS shoe technology patent awarded to GTX Corp.

GTX Corp. based in Los Angeles, California was awarded three new broad US patents considerably increasing the Company's IP portfolio value. All three patents relate to the basic aspect of providing a GPS location device in footwear. Founded in 2002, GTX Corp. is a leader in embedded 2-way GPS real-time Personal Location Services (PLS) solutions.

The three broad patents have 105 claims in total and will give a tough challenge for any competitor to operate in the GPS enabled footwear field without obtaining a license from GTX Corp. The Company is joining hands with Aetrex Worldwide, Inc., a global leader in adult pedorthic footwear. Together they intend to bring to market the patented GPS enabled shoe with the name "Ambulator." The GPS Shoe would be of great use to monitor whereabouts of people, especially those afflicted with Alzheimer's that are lost due to wandering.

The GPS Shoe patents cover a GPS transceiver component placed inside the shoe and the transmission of location directs to a central monitoring station which circulates the secure data through the use of software, cellular connectivity and the GTX Corp. viewing portal.

Microsoft and Amazon.com signs Patent Cross-License Agreement

Microsoft Corp. and Amazon.com have signed a patent cross-license agreement which will provide each company access to the other’s patent portfolio. This agreement covers a broad range of products and technology, including coverage for Amazon’s, Kindle, its e-reading device, which employs both open source and Amazon’s proprietary software components, and Amazon’s use of Linux-based servers.

Amazon.com will pay an unspecified amount of money to Microsoft under the agreement. Microsoft’s patent portfolio is the largest and strongest in the software industry, and this agreement would add to its IP collection.

Four Indian pharma firms hit with patent suits

Four Indian generic drug-makers – Lupin, Sun Pharma, Ranbaxy and Wockhardt — were hit with a bout of US patent infringement suits by different foreign companies in the past 10 days. Court filings show that these four companies had intented to market generic copies of branded drugs before their patent expiry dates.

Bayer Schering Pharma filed two patent infringement suits against Lupin On February 17 and 18, following a Paragraph IV certification as part of Lupin’s filing of a generic drug application, which was necessary for Lupin to manufacture a generic version of Bayer’s Cipro Oral Suspension, which is used to treat infections. If a generic company first files its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) with a Paragraph IV certification and wins in the subsequent lawsuit, that generic company is granted a period of market exclusivity of 180 days.

Medicis Pharmaceutical Corp. in its suit alleged that Daiichi-Sankyo owned Ranbaxy infringed its patent for "Method for the Treatment of Acne" following a Paragraph IV certification as part of Ranbaxy's filing of a generic drug application to manufacture a generic version of Medics' Solodyn (minocycline hydrochloride extended release tablets, used to treat acne).

Wockhardt was sued by Alcon Research in the Southern District of Indiana alleging that Wockhardt's Paragraph IV certification in its generic drug application of Patanol infringes on Alcon's patent which expires in June 2011.

And Abbott Laboratories filed two patent infringement suits against Sun Pharmaceutical Industries following a Paragraph IV certification as part of Sun's filing of a generic drug application to make a generic version of Abbott's Niaspan - niacin extended-release tablets.

China Energy Recovery awarded Waste Heat Technology Patent

China Energy Recovery, Inc. (CER) has been granted a 10-year patent covering its cement kiln forced-circulated waste heat recovery boiler technology by the State Intellectual Property Office of People's Republic of China on January 20 this year. CER is engaged in designing, manufacturing and installing waste heat energy recovery systems.
 
Cement plant waste heat boilers are a new technology developed by its senior engineer at CER Shanghai, Wang Weiqing. CER is the only company currently using this technology and is undertaking further R&D, to develop new energy recovery technology solutions for energy intensive industrial processes.

Factories and other Industrial establishments release considerable amounts of excess heat into the atmosphere in the form of hot exhaust gases or high-pressure steam. Energy recovery is the process of recovering these vast amounts of energy that is usually wasted and converting it into usable heat energy or electricity, significantly lowering energy costs.

RPost and Goodmail Systems have resolved their legal dispute regarding patents. RPost had filed a lawsuit against Goodmail alleging that Goodmail’s Paper Suppression™ service, which guaranteed proof of delivery for email, had infringed several RPost patents.

An agreement was made to form a strategic joint venture to offer to RPost the proof of delivery as an improvement for senders of Goodmail Certified Email. And all Goodmail products offering delivery proof in turn will use RPost’s technology. The two companies however will carry on with independent marketing of Goodmail Certified Email™ and RPost’s Registered Email® services as separate products.

Goodmail’s Certified Email protects the email recipients by ensuring that the message comes from a trusted and authentic sender and RPost’s Registered Email service protects email senders by allowing them to prove that their message was delivered. Both in combination would be very useful for sending high value and sensitive electronic communications in different sectors like banks, credit card companies, insurance companies which send statements and official notifications via email.

Microsoft Files Patent for Wireless Device Charger

Microsoft researchers in Beijing, China have applied for a patent with the USPTO relating to a device that charges mobiles and is fitted with an OLED screen for displaying weather conditions, sports scores, news headlines etc.

The device which has a built-in facility of both wired and wireless connectivity has two mat-like surfaces or pads. It can also be used as an accelerometer or alternative orientation tracking mechanism to verify which surface of the charging device is facing upward.
 
Wireless charging mats use inductive charging technology, which electromagnetically transfers power from the charging pad to mobile devices.

Pashmina trademark launched in 31 countries

Chyangra Pashmina, the international trademark has been launched by the Nepal Pashmina Industries Association (NPIA) in a proposition to regain the fame of Nepali Pashmina in the international markets.

 This new trademark (Chyangra Pashmina) has been registered in 31 countries around the world.

Following this registration, Pashmina is now established as a distinctive Nepali product. Nepal has now gained exclusive rights over Pashmina products due to this definition and trademark. The Nepal Pashmina Industries Association expects that there would be three times increase in exports because of this trademark registration.