By Samuel Shen and Royston Chan

SHANGHAI |
Wed Feb 22, 2012 8:06am EST

SHANGHAI (Reuters) – A Chinese technology firm sought to halt the sale of Apple Inc’s iPads across the affluent city of Shanghai, arguing at a local court hearing on Wednesday that the U.S. firm had infringed on its trademark.

Previous court rulings in favor of Proview Technology (Shenzhen) have covered specific retailers in smaller cities, but a Shanghai order, if imposed, would eat into one of Apple’s biggest markets in China.

Proview lawyers argued, at times emotionally, that an immediate halt of iPad sales be implemented in China’s commercial hub, which is the home to three of the country’s five Apple stores.

Apple defended its right to use the trademark in China and said Proview had no ability to produce or sell its own device under the same name.

“Proview has no product, no markets, no customers and no suppliers. It has nothing,” Hu Jinnan, a partner at Guangdong Shendadi law firm, which is representing Apple in the case, told the court.

“Apple has huge sales in China. Its fans line up to buy Apple products. The ban, if executed, would not only hurt Apple sales but it would also hurt China’s national interest.”

The Shanghai Pudong New Area People’s Court has not said when it will issue its decision, but Roger Xie, a partner at Grandall Legal Group representing Proview, said it was likely to be soon. Apple would in any case have the option to appeal should it lose.

Highlighting the strong interest in the case, some 100 reporters gathered around the court building while the hearing was taking place. Some local residents took the opportunity of the media attention to voice their own grievances over local authorities, holding up banners in front of the assembled TV cameras.

SERIES OF COURT BATTLES

Proview says it owns the iPad trademark in China and a Shenzhen court ruled in its favor last December.

Apple disputes Proview’s ownership of the trademark, saying it bought the rights to the name in China from Proview in 2009. The firm has appealed against the Shenzhen judgment, with a higher court hearing set for February 29 in China’s southern province of Guangdong.

Following the Shenzhen case, Proview has launched a multi-pronged approach to get Apple’s iPads off the shelves in the world’s second-biggest economy, with mixed success.

Xie reiterated that Proview is open to settle the case out of court with Apple.

“Both sides have willingness to negotiate,” Xie told reporters outside the court.

“Official negotiation hasn’t started yet, and both sides will submit their plans before the talks. A settlement outside the court is quite possible.”

Apple’s iPad has a huge lead over rival tablet PCs in China, with a 76 percent market share. It has three Apple retail stores in Shanghai, with the two other flagship stores in Beijing.

But it is not only the consumer market in China that is important for Apple because the country is also a major production base for the iPad and other Apple products.

Proview, a financially troubled technology company, has already petitioned Chinese customs to stop shipments of the iPad in and out of China, although authorities have indicated such a ban would be difficult to impose.

Over the past week, Proview’s efforts have borne fruit as local media reported that some cities have started enforcing Proview’s request to remove iPads.

Proview’s lawyers said last week it had won a lawsuit in the southern city of Huizhou against a retailer selling Apple’s iPads, possibly boding well for its case in Shanghai.

Proview’s parent, Hong Kong-listed Proview International Holdings Ltd, was the first Taiwanese technology company to list in Hong Kong and by the end of the 1990s numbered itself among the top five computer monitor makers.

In 1999 it partnered with U.S. chip maker National Semiconductor to launch the I-PAD, a stripped-down desktop computer whose main selling points were its Internet connectivity and ease of use.

Proview continued to grow, shifting from computer monitors to become the world’s third-largest OEM manufacturer of flat panel TVs. But by August 2009, when Apple began trademark talks through a proxy, Proview had been badly hammered by the financial crisis.

Trading of its stock was suspended in Hong Kong in August 2010 after creditors in China went to court to recover assets. The company faces delisting in June if it cannot provide the Hong Kong Stock Exchange with a viable rescue plan.

(Additional reporting by Ruby Lian and Melanie Lee; Writing by Kazunori Takada; Editing by Jason Subler and Alex Richardson)

Article source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/technologyNews/~3/xc8mkc80-G0/us-apple-proview-idUSTRE81L0CM20120222

By Mitch Lipka

Wed Feb 22, 2012 11:51am EST

(Reuters) – Nearly 12 million Americans were victims of identity theft in 2011, an increase of 13 percent over 2010, according to a report released on Wednesday by the research firm Javelin Strategy Research.

The rise in the use of smartphones and social media by incautious consumers fueled the increase in identity fraud, and 2011 was a year of several big data breaches too, Javelin said.

With the rise in credit card monitoring and more sophisticated policing by credit card companies, identity thieves are increasingly targeting users of smartphones and social media, where consumers have a tendency to be less cautious, experts say.

“The message is not that people should let their guard down,” Javelin founder and President Jim Van Dyke said. “The challenge that we have is that criminals often change faster than everyday consumers or businesses.”

The number of people whose information was accessed in a data breach increased by 67 percent in 2011, largely due to some very high-profile thefts, such as the attacks on Sony Corp’s PlayStation network in April.

Someone whose personal information is taken in a data breach is 9.5 times more likely to become a victim of identity fraud, Javelin found.

One heartening finding was that dollar losses by consumers remained stable last year despite the increase in the number of victims. Credit card issuers’ policies on fraudulent transactions — a $50 limit on losses, which is often waived — and quicker detection has limited out-of-pocket costs to consumers, said Van Dyke.

For the past nine years, Javelin has been analyzing data and survey information about identity fraud, usually defined as the opening of new accounts in the name of a victim.

STILL VULNERABLE

For every advancement made on the protection side, consumers remain vulnerable due to the resourcefulness of crooks.

“They’re doing more and more crime in order to get the same return,” said Mike Urban, who analyzes fraud patterns for Fiserv Inc, a consulting company that helps financial institutions defend against crime and other risks. “It’s pushing the criminals to work even harder.”

In 2011, some of the biggest data thefts ever recorded took place. In the attacks on the PlayStation network, hackers obtained the personal information of tens of millions of users and the credit card numbers of some.

Also last year, hackers stole millions of names and email addresses from Epsilon, the marketing division of Alliance Data Systems Corp. That firm sends email marketing information on behalf of major banks, retailers and hotels, among others. Citigroup Inc also reported a large data theft.

About 7 percent of all smartphone users fell victim to identity fraud in 2011, according to Javelin. Smartphone users were about a third more likely to become victims than non-users. Javelin found 62 percent of smartphone users do not use password protection for their home screens; this allows anyone who finds or takes their phones to have access to the contents.

Fiserv’s Urban said downloaded apps are often a problem, too. The lure of a free game, particularly one not vetted through a company-operated site such as Apple Inc’s iTunes, can result in users having programs that collect and distribute their personal information.

Javelin also found that many social media users reveal too much personal information, including their birth dates, where they went to high school, their phone number and other information used to verify identity.

“You don’t leave your money lying on a table,” said Urban. “You don’t want to leave your important information out there.”

TIPS

Here are some tips from Javelin to avoid becoming an identity fraud victim and mitigating losses:

- Password protect your home and mobile devices. Avoid exposing personal information that can be used by someone else for identity verification.

- Be careful about the apps you download. Only download through a service that monitors the apps, such as iTunes.

- Share information carefully when you are on a public wifi network.

- Monitor your credit cards by checking their use online or reading the statements carefully. Quickly report to your credit card issuer if you see any suspicious transactions.

- Take data breach notifications seriously. If your data has been accessed, consider subscribing to a credit-monitoring service, which is often is offered for free for a year by the company that had been breached.

(The author is a Reuters contributor. The opinions expressed are his own. Editing by Linda Stern, Chelsea Emery and John Wallace)

Article source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/technologyNews/~3/QotL5h5mzGk/us-idtheft-javelin-idUSTRE81L16520120222

By Melanie Lee

SHANGHAI |
Tue Feb 21, 2012 6:35am EST

SHANGHAI (Reuters) – Apple Inc’s trademark battle moves to one of China’s richest cities on Wednesday when a Shanghai court will deliberate a request by troubled technology company Proview to halt the sale of iPads across the city.

Proview Technology (Shenzhen) claims it owns the iPad trademark in China and a Shenzhen court ruled in its favor last December. Proview has since launched a multi-pronged approach to get Apple’s iPads off the shelves — with mixed success.

Apple’s iPad has a huge lead over rival tablet PCs in China with a 76 percent share. But it’s not only the consumer market in China that is important for Apple because the country is also a major production base for the iPad and other Apple products.

Indeed, Proview Technology (Shenzhen) has already petitioned Chinese customs to stop shipments of the iPad in and out of China, although authorities have indicated such a ban would be difficult to impose.

Previous court rulings have covered specific retailers in smaller cities, but a Shanghai order, if imposed, would eat into one of Apple’s biggest markets in China, which is home to three of its five flagship stores in China.

“This is a court in Shanghai which means that it has jurisdiction, and its order should be observed in Shanghai, which is one of the biggest cities and biggest markets for Apple iPads in China,” said Kenny Wong, head of Mayer Brown’s intellectual property practice in Hong Kong.

Proview is hoping that the district court will rule in its favor and grant an injunction to stop the sale of iPads in Shanghai, Proview’s lawyer Roger Xie told Asian Legal Business, a Thomson Reuters publication, on Tuesday.

Lawyers said the judgment is not expected for a few months and that Apple would in any case have the option to appeal should it lose.

Apple disputes Proview’s ownership of the trademark, saying it bought the trademark from Proview in 2009. The firm has appealed the Shenzhen judgment with a higher court hearing set for Feb 29 in China’s southern province of Guangdong.

Apple’s Shanghai unit is the defendant in the case due to be heard on Wednesday. Losing could mean the city’s three Apple retail stores would have to stop selling the popular tablet PCs. Apple has two other flagship stores in China, both in Beijing.

Over the past week, Proview’s efforts have borne fruit as local media reported that certain cities have started enforcing Proview’s request to remove the iPads.

Proview’s lawyers said on Friday it had won a lawsuit in the southern city of Huizhou against a retailer selling Apple’s iPads, not boding well for its case in Shanghai.

“The Proview people probably remain fairly confident, in view of their success in Guangdong province already,” Wong said of the Shanghai hearing on Wednesday.

CONTRASTING FORTUNES

The fortunes of Proview parent, Hong Kong-listed Proview International Holdings Ltd, stand in stark contrast to Apple’s.

Founded by Yang Long-san in 1989, Proview was the first Taiwanese technology company to list in Hong Kong and by the end of the 1990s numbered itself among the top five computer monitor makers.

In 1999 it partnered with U.S. chip maker National Semiconductor to launch the I-PAD, a stripped-down desktop computer whose main selling points were its Internet connectivity and ease of use.

Proview continued to grow, shifting from computer monitors to become the world’s third-largest OEM manufacturer of flat panel TVs. But by August 2009, when Apple began trademark talks through a proxy, Proview had been badly hammered by the financial crisis.

Since then things have only gotten worse. Trading of its stock was suspended in Hong Kong in August 2010 after creditors in China went to court to recover assets. The company faces delisting in June if it cannot provide the Hong Kong Stock Exchange with a viable rescue plan.

On Monday, Apple fired its own shot back at Proview, threatening to sue “individuals and entities” for damages that may arise from defamatory remarks that hurt Apple’s reputation.

In a letter addressed to Yang, who remains chairman of the China subsidiary, and posted online by IDG News Service, Apple warned Yang against giving false information to the media and public (here). Reuters has confirmed its authenticity.

“It is inappropriate to release information contrary to the facts to the media, especially when such disclosures have the effect of wrongly causing damage to Apple’s reputation. You will be held legally responsible for such activity,” Apple said.

Calls to Proview went unanswered and Apple declined to provide fresh comment.

(Additional reporting by Artemisia Ng with Asian Legal Business in HONG KONG; Chyenyee Lee in HONG KONG; Editing by Jeremy Wagstaff in SINGAPORE)

Article source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/technologyNews/~3/KLRpkyKv36c/us-apple-proview-idUSTRE81K0IL20120221

By Alastair Sharp and Euan Rocha

TORONTO |
Tue Feb 21, 2012 3:16pm EST

TORONTO (Reuters) – Research In Motion on Tuesday gave its PlayBook tablet computer the ability to handle email as easily as a BlackBerry does, with new software that eliminates a shortcoming that has throttled sales since the PlayBook launched last April.

Before the software update, which came months after RIM initially promised, a user had to tether the tablet to a BlackBerry to get email, robbing the PlayBook of the function that made RIM’s smartphones an essential business tool.

“It’s what the first Playbook software should have been from a company which stakes its brand on messaging strength, with tightly integrated calendar, email, and contacts,” said Frost and Sullivan analyst Craig Cartier.

The tablet, which RIM has had to discount heavily to boost flagging sales, is the first RIM device to run on the company’s new QNX-based operating system.

As such it provides the blueprint for the first QNX-based BlackBerry, due by the end of the year. For that reason, the future of the company may hinge on the tablet’s success, analysts say.

The Waterloo, Ontario-based company needs to have more applications available before the new phones, powered by QNX software called BlackBerry 10, hit the market. It hopes the PlayBook upgrade will encourage developers to get started.

That’s crucial if the company that virtually invented the smartphone hopes to make up ground lost in recent years to Apple Inc’s iPhone and iPad, and a host of devices powered by Goggle’s Android, analysts say.

“RIM appears to have re-positioned PlayBook from a standalone profit center at launch (at $499) to an investment to build and seed developer interest in its next-generation platform ahead of the launch of BlackBerry 10 later this year,” RBC Capital Markets analyst Mike Abramsky said in a note to clients.

FIRST TEST FOR HEINS

In the months since PlayBook’s botched launch, demands by investors for change grew louder and RIM’s share price eroded. The pressure culminated with the departure of RIM’s co-chief executives Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie last month. Thorsten Heins, a former Siemens AG executive who joined RIM back in late 2007, has taken the reins.

How the PlayBook upgrade goes down with investors and analysts could set the tone for Heins’ first year at the helm.

After the release, tech websites mostly reacted with a dismissive shrug. TechCrunch said that “what RIM has done is effectively bring the PlayBook up to speed” with Android tablets. Gizmodo said it was “RIM’s attempt to salvage the PlayBook” by giving it “basic tablet functionality.”

ANEMIC SALES

Perhaps just as importantly, the upgrade is designed to make more apps available for running on QNX devices. It gives the tablet the ability to run apps written for Android, a tacit acknowledgement that the current dearth of RIM-specific apps has limited the PlayBook’s appeal. The prospect of increased sales could kick-start the app development, analysts say.

RIM sold just 850,000 tablets to the end of November. By comparison Apple, which has far more available apps, sold 15.4 million iPad tablets in its latest quarter.

The update will also feature a new BlackBerry video store, initially only available in the United States, and enhanced web browsing capabilities.

But two important features are missing. The upgrade excludes the popular BlackBerry Messaging (BBM) application and it is unable to integrate with existing versions of RIM’s enterprise server software. That gives it limited appeal to RIM’s core audiences of business users and BBM fans, Abramsky said.

Shares of RIM, which have tumbled close to 80 percent over the last year, rose on Tuesday morning before slipping to trade 0.6 percent lower at $14.98 on the Nasdaq by mid-afternoon.

(Editing by Frank McGurty)

Article source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/technologyNews/~3/KAkiGoTlUsI/us-rim-playbook-idUSTRE81K10S20120221

By Lee Chyen Yee and Huang Yuntao

HONG KONG |
Mon Feb 20, 2012 5:03am EST

HONG KONG (Reuters) – Apple Inc’s legal row over its iPad trademark in China creates a window of opportunity for rivals such as Lenovo Group Ltd and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd as they try to chip away at the U.S. firm’s dominance of the potentially vast Chinese tablet market.

Apple, the world’s most valuable technology company, is fighting lawsuits brought by debt-laden Chinese electronics maker Proview Technology (Shenzhen), causing retailers and resellers in more than 10 Chinese cities to take iPads off their shelves, according to media reports.

Apple’s iPad enjoys a huge lead over rival tablet PCs in China with a 76 percent share. Lenovo and Samsung trail a distant second and third with about 7 percent and 3 percent respectively, data from research firm IDC showed.

“Apple’s loss could be Lenovo and Samsung’s gains,” said Jonathan Ng, an analyst with CIMB in Singapore.

Samsung likely has most to gain, because its Galaxy tablet competes in the same price segment as the iPad.

“Samsung will probably benefit more from Apple’s ongoing lawsuit because both of them are after the same higher-end consumers given their price points,” said Dickie Chang, an analyst from IDC in Hong Kong.

“The impact on Lenovo may be less because Lepads are lower priced and are aimed more at entry-level users.”

A basic iPad 2 typically costs 3,688 yuan ($585), roughly the same price as 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab, while some models of Lenovo’s Lepad were selling at roughly half that price on online retail sites.

IDC said in the third quarter Apple sold about 1.3 million iPads in China, while Lenovo, the world’s second largest PC maker, sold around 120,000 Lepads in its home market and South Korea’s Samsung sold 58,000 Galaxy Tabs.

The Lepad and Galaxy Tab both run on Google Inc’s Android operating system.

RESORTING TO OTHER MEANS

China has 505 million Internet users now, with the number of microbloggers exceeding 300 million — more than that of active Twitter users.

Tablet PC makers are clamoring for more market share in a country where consumers are increasingly tech-savvy and prefer to play online games, tweet and email while on the road. Apple has said it is so far only scratching the surface in China.

While demand for Apple’s iPhones and iPads is strong in China, the lawsuit with Proview Technology, the Chinese unit of Hong Kong-listed Proview International Holdings Ltd, has taken some toll in the sale of its products.

Last Friday, Proview won a ruling on Friday at the Huizhou court in Guangzhou to prohibit an electronics appliance chain from selling iPads, just days after authorities in Shijiazhuang city near Beijing banned sales of the tablet PCs.

Proview has since asked commerce departments of some 40 cities to do the same, said the company’s lawyer Roger Xie, from law firm Grandall.

In the meantime, Apple’s legion of fans in China are resorting to other means of getting hold of an iPad.

“With Apple iPads banned in some places, it’s going to create more opportunity for Lenovo and Samsung to increase their market share,” said Sun Peilin, an analyst with Analysys International in Beijing.

“All the more so since the prices of iPads smuggled into China will rise more,” Sun said.

Apple says it bought Proview’s worldwide rights to the trademark in 10 different countries several years ago, including rights to the iPad name from a Taiwan subsidiary of Proview International.

However, Proview Technology (Shenzhen) says the sale did not cover the trademark’s use in China.

In Shijiazhuang, where authorities have told resellers to take iPads off their shelves, potential buyers were being told to ask for it clandestinely.

“You have to come back between 5 and 6 p.m. If you come during the day we’ll have to tell you we don’t stock any iPads,” said one salesman, adding that authorities would confiscate any iPads on display.

Amazon.com in China and electronics retailer Suning have also stopped selling iPads, but the companies said that had nothing to do with the Apple lawsuits.

Another major online retailer, 360buy.com, has also stopped iPad sales, but it did not say why.

But buyers can still log on to Alibaba Group’s Taobao mall and Dangdang.com to get an iPad.

IDC said currently around 12 percent of iPads are sold online, while the rest of the sales come from retailers.

With some official purchase channels cut off, more people are likely to resort to iPads smuggled from neighboring Hong Kong, where prices are lower due to a weaker Hong Kong dollar and virtually zero tariffs.

“Smuggling might continue to be the main source of iPad sales in China, especially if the iPad 3 launch in China is delayed due to the lawsuits,” Sun said.

(Additional reporting by Lucy Horby and Langi Chiang in SHIJIAZHUANG; Editing by Alex Richardson)

Article source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/technologyNews/~3/kwwEmEGHZRU/us-apple-china-idUSTRE81G08220120220

By Supantha Mukherjee

Mon Feb 20, 2012 2:06pm EST

(Reuters) – TriQuint Semiconductor Inc unveiled a dual-band power amplifier duplexer, dubbed the world’s smallest, to tap the surge in demand for 3G and 4G smartphones.

The new Tritium Duo module combines two power amplifiers and duplexers (PADs) in a single compact module, replacing up to 12 discrete components and freeing up space in a smartphone.

“We are sampling it now with a lot of our key customers,” Shane Smith, vice president, mobile devices global marketing, told Reuters.

TriQuint, which counts HTC Corp, Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, Nokia and Research In Motion among its customers, is sampling the new module with customers like Samsung Electronics, Smith said.

Smith hopes to start shipping the new modules in good volumes by August and expects addition to revenue from the third quarter.

Tritium PADs are a family of highly integrated modules designed for use in mobile phones, data cards and USB modems.

The new module, which will save at least 25 percent space compared to rival products, is expected to help mobile device manufacturers to include more features or larger batteries in thinner, lighter smartphones.

(Reporting by Supantha Mukherjee in Bangalore; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)

Article source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/technologyNews/~3/4ic1x1NgIWU/us-triquint-idUSTRE81J16G20120220

By Tarmo Virki, European Technology Correspondent

Mon Feb 20, 2012 2:29pm EST

(Reuters) – Japanese companies Fujitsu and Panasonic plan to enter the European smartphone market as rivals Apple and Samsung have piled on the pressure in their previously isolated home market.

Panasonic unveiled on Monday its Eluga model, marking its re-entry to the European market, and Fujitsu said it plans to roll out a wider portfolio of products in Europe.

Japanese handset makers have struggled to compete outside their home country, in part owing to a focus on technology for the domestic market, and analysts say they will likely also struggle this time to break into the tightly competed sector.

“The push into the European smartphone market makes sense given the limited room for growth back in Japan. However, the challenge they will face to gain traction is huge,” said Dominic Sunnebo, analyst at research firm Kantar Worldpanel ComTech.

Last year Apple alone took a 10 percent share of the Japanese market, the third-largest smartphone market globally, according to research firm Strategy Analytics.

Panasonic will sell its Eluga model for slightly over 400 euros, excluding operator subsidies, from April. The model comes with a 4.3 inch touchscreen, uses a Texas Instruments processor and runs Google’s Android software.

The company said it was the first of many new smartphones to its portfolio. Panasonic aims to sell 1.5 million smartphones in Europe during its next fiscal year to March 2013.

“(The) Western European market is saturated and very competitive. Why they would pick this market to try to find renewed growth is a mystery to me,” said analyst Carolina Milanesi from research firm Gartner.

The smartphone market in Western Europe grew 12 percent last year to 97 million handsets, compared with 58 percent growth seen in the global market, according to Gartner. Samsung is the largest player on the market, followed by Apple and Nokia.

Fujitsu, already a large handset and tablet maker in Japan with about a fifth of the market, is also planning to bring a range of smartphones and tablets to the European market.

Fujitsu is still in negotiations with operators and specific launches and timetables are yet to be agreed upon, a spokeswoman for the company said.

Earlier the Financial Times said the company was targeting a “double-digit” market share in the next three to five years.

(Additional reporting by Stephen Mangan; Editing by Andrea Ricci)

Article source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/technologyNews/~3/5j3cWs_-vfk/us-fujitsu-panasonic-idUSTRE81J13720120220

By Diane Bartz

Fri Feb 17, 2012 6:22pm EST

(Reuters) – Apple Inc did not infringe patented technology owned by Android phonemaker HTC Corp, the U.S. International Trade Commission said on Friday, the latest ruling in the wide-ranging smartphone patent wars.

The complaint – one of several the two companies have filed against each other – is a proxy for the larger fight for market share between Apple’s products and Google Inc’s Android software for cellphones and tablets, many of which HTC makes.

Taiwan-based HTC had filed a complaint in 2010 accusing Apple of infringing five patents on technologies for power management and phone dialing.

It asked the ITC to bar some versions of Apple’s iPods, iPhones and iPads from being imported into the United States.

The ITC, a U.S. trade panel that investigates patent infringement involving imported goods, is a popular venue for patent lawsuits because it can bar the importation of infringing products and because its cases are ruled on quickly.

Apple and HTC have escalated their patent fights as Android phones have gained popularity.

Worldwide, Android-based smartphones have outpaced iPhones in terms of growth, rising from a tiny portion of the global market in 2009 to 50.9 percent share in the fourth quarter of 2011, according to Gartner Inc data.

The case is at the International Trade Commission, No. 337-721.

(Reporting By Diane Bartz; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)

Article source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/technologyNews/~3/NrXnrbWan68/us-apple-htc-patent-idUSTRE81G26420120217

BRUSSELS |
Sat Feb 18, 2012 6:56am EST

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Apple has asked EU anti-trust regulators to step in and settle a technology patent dispute between the company and Motorola Mobility, according to Motorola Mobility.

The move came after regulators on both sides of the Atlantic said they would intervene to prevent companies from gouging rivals when they license patents essential to ensuring different communications devices work together.

“On February 17, 2012, the company received a letter from the European Commission notifying it that the Commission has received a complaint against Motorola Mobility, Inc. by Apple, Inc. regarding the enforcement of MMI’s standards-essential patents against Apple allegedly in breach of MMI’s FRAND (fair and reasonable) commitments,” Motorola Mobility said in a regulatory filing on Friday.

“Apple’s complaint seeks the Commission’s intervention with respect to standards-essential patents,” it said.

Motorola Mobility, which won a preliminary injunction against Apple in Germany in December last year, accused the iPhone maker of infringing its technology patents in a Florida court last month.

Last week Google secured EU and U.S. approval to acquire Motorola Mobility for its portfolio of patents. The deal still needs clearance from regulators in China, Taiwan and Israel.

The European Commission, which oversees competition matters across the 27-country European Union, is now investigating whether legal tactics used by Samsung Electronics Co Ltd against Apple breaches EU antitrust rules.

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Susan Fenton)

Article source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/technologyNews/~3/hhzxzoD1BLU/us-motorolamobility-apple-eu-idUSTRE81H0BB20120218

By Jasmin Melvin

WASHINGTON |
Thu Feb 16, 2012 7:38pm EST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Apple Inc, Google Inc and their vendors must do more to protect children using iPhones and other mobile devices to read or play games, U.S. trade regulators said, and warned they may punish software makers that secretly collect data on kids.

With the “explosive growth” in mobile applications in the past few years, “many consumer protections, including piracy and privacy disclosures, have not kept pace” and need to be monitored, the Federal Trade Commission said in a report released on Thursday.

Young mobile app users may unknowingly share their phone number, location and other private details with software developers and advertisers, the report warned, and parents lack the information to protect their children properly.

“Right now, it is almost impossible to figure out which apps collect data and what they do with it,” FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz said.

With more than 500,000 apps in Apple Inc’s App Store and 380,000 in Google Inc’s Android Market, consumers have topped 28 billion app downloads since the market launched in 2008 with only about 600 apps, the report said.

About 70 percent of children in households with tablet computers used these devices, according to fourth-quarter results from research firm Nielsen.

A survey of apps offered for children from those two largest mobile storefronts found little information on whether the apps collect data or not, according to the FTC report, titled “Mobile Apps for Kids: Current Privacy Disclosures are Disappointing.”

The FTC urged app stores, developers and third parties to beef up their privacy policies and recommended that app developers provide simple disclosures to parents explaining what data is collected and how it is used and shared.

The agency recommended that app stores insist on data collection and sharing information in the same manner they collect pricing and category data from developers.

Google could not immediately be reached for comment. Apple had no comment on the report.

The Association for Competitive Technology, which represents smaller app developers and tech firms, noted that parents, rather than companies, develop most 99 cent apps for kids to help them learn, and that many are unaware of existing privacy regulations.

In a statement, the group said it would work with the FTC to educate and inform well-intentioned app makers.

MOBILE APP BUSINESS MODEL

Jeff Chester, a privacy advocate, said there was no doubt that data was being collected because it is intrinsic to business models in the mobile market.

“The same business practices that we have that threaten privacy online have been migrated over to mobile,” said Chester, who spearheaded the 1998 passage of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act by the U.S. Congress.

The act requires websites and online service operators to obtain verifiable consent from parents before collecting, using or disclosing personal information of children.

The FTC said it would continue to review mobile apps directed at children over the next six months to check for violations of the law. The agency warned of possible enforcement actions in the future, including civil penalties of $11,000 per violation.

Chester said it was time for Congress to step in and tame “these wild west mobile data collection practices.”

Data collection on the Internet allows advertisers to target users in a demographic or who are more likely to buy their product. These ads often subsidize Web content, but U.S. regulators have accused Internet companies of compromising user privacy to attract advertisers and increase revenue.

The FTC in September proposed updating its Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule that gives parents a say over what information websites and other online providers can collect about children under the age of 13.

The proposed changes would make clear that such protections extend to mobile devices.

The report can be found here

(Editing by Richard Chang)

Article source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/technologyNews/~3/OeE2l8lQYIw/us-mobile-apps-children-idUSTRE81G01S20120217