After Smartflash successfully convinced a court that Apple devices infringed three of its patents relating to downloading and storing content, winning a $532.9M award for its trouble, the company is coming back for more–despite the fact that Apple is appealing the original award.
Smartflash filed its original case before the iPhone 6/Plus and iPad Air 2 were launched, so the company now wants extra cash for these, reports Reuters.
“Smartflash filed the complaint to address products that came out too far into the last proceedings to have been included,” Smartflash’s attorney, Brad Caldwell, told Reuters on Thursday.
The company reached settlements with a number of game developers, and has also filed lawsuits against Samsung, Google and Amazon.
Smartflash is the very definition of a patent troll, settlements and awards from its seven patents providing its only form of income. The company makes no products and provides no services.
Apple has previously spoken out against patent trolls, revealing that it has been the subject of more lawsuits than any other company, though also cautioned against legislating too broadly to fight them.
It was today revealed that Ericsson has asked the ITC to block the import and sale of iPhones in the U.S. as part of an unrelated patent dispute.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
I suppose this is what happens when your company is worth 3/4 of a trillion dollars. Other companies think that they can extort money out of you.
Actually, the 3/4 trillion dollar company thinks it doesn’t have to pay royalties for technologies that others spent money patenting.
Patent trolls should be banned. They should only be allowed to sue if they actually sell products or service concerning their patents.
The only thing that company did was buy that patent from another company. They don’t make a single product. The pure definition of a troll.
Who cares? They still own it. Apple has bought tons of patents they never intend to make anything with.
Do you know how many patents Apple have purchased from another company? Any idea?
I bet you think it is ZERO right.
Apole did this to Samsung when they released a new phone, so how is this different? The company still owns the patent.