Tag Archives: Apple

Apple To Sue Google Because Of Siri Infringement

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There must be something about the infringement battle between Apple and Samsung that makes it look interesting and fresh all the time. Apparently, both the fans and the courts alike can’t seem to get enough from the two giant arch rivals. The latest so far in the Apple-Samsung epic involves the claim made by Apple that Samsung is violating its original Siri patents which was expressed by the former as an amendment in its latest filed court case. To be more specific, these were identified as patent 8,086,604 and patent 6,846,959.

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Apple claims that the patents were infringed by Samsung because of the Google Now technology used in its devices. The technology is said to copy Apple’s Siri which has been described as a ‘universal interface for retrieval of information in a computer system.’

Aside from the patents mentioned above, Apple further claims that the Galaxy S4 from Samsung is infringing three more of its original patents. These patents were labeled as US Patent No. 5,666,502 (graphical user interface using historical lists with field classes), US Patent No. 5,946,647 (system and method for performing an action on a structure in computer-generated data), and US Patent No. 7,761,414 (asynchronous data synchronization amongst devices).

It may sound confusing but it’s clear that there are at least five patents that are involved in the case. All of these five are allegedly infringed by the Galaxy S4 while two of them are likewise infringed by Google Now.

Originally, Apple has asserted in its claim that the Android Quick Search Box has infringed patents ‘604 and ‘509. After Google launched Google Now, Apple wanted to update its infringement claims accordingly. The document discussing the case has been entitled ’13-05-21 Apple Motion to Amend Infringement Contentions.’ Interestingly, there was no mention of the Galaxy S4 Google Edition in the said document. However, Apple will definitely include the Google Edition in its contention once the device hits the store shelves.

We should take note that there was one filing against the Android Search Box of Google which was overturned when it was filed against the Galaxy Nexus of Samsung. Based on this turn of events, we can assume that the Galaxy S4 will also be declared as innocent in the end.

(via)

Apple Looks to Double the Amount They Spend on Lobbying of Politicians

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06370 Apple Money Cash Logo Apple Looks to Double the Amount They Spend on Lobbying of Politicians

Apple is reportedly on track to double the amount of money that it spends lobbying politicians this year. The increase in spending comes as the iOS device maker is coming under increasing fire in Washington for alleged tax avoidance.

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AppleInsider:

Apple could spend $ 4 million lobbying politicians on the Hill, twice what the company spent last year and more than 20 times the $ 180,000 it spent in 1999, according to Reuters.

Currently, U.S. corporations are holding upwards of $ 1.5 trillion in profits offshore in order to avoid the 35% corporate income tax the repatriation of the funds would cost.  Apple holds about 6.7% of that sum.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said in his testimony on the Hill earlier this week that the company will not be bringing it’s foreign cash pile back to the U.S. as long as taxes remain as they are currently. The company is showing signs of putting its considerable muscle behind pushing corporate taxes downward.

“They are very, very tactical,” an unnamed former Apple lobbyist told Reuters. “They only join issues they really care about.”

Aside from taxes, Apple would most likely also lobby Congress on environmental and import issues, along with broadband and other technology issues.

While Apple doubling its lobbying to $ 4 million in 2013 may seem like a big move, its spending doesn’t even approach that of other technology firms. Four million is just about what Facebook spent on lobbying last year, however Oracle spent around 50% more than that, and Microsoft spent double that amount. The largest lobbying spender in 2012 was Apple rival Google, which spent $ 18.2 million lobbying Congress.

Apple Offers PayPal Payment Option in German Online Store

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b2e2e Apple Store App Logo Apple Offers PayPal Payment Option in German Online Store

Apple has rolled out the ability to pay for purchases from their German online Apple Store via PayPal. The feature appears to be limited to Germany at the moment, but could portend a roll out to other countries.

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9to5Mac:

Apple has never been opposed to offering the option to use PayPal for some services. Users in the U.S. have long been able to setup PayPal as a payment option for their Apple ID on the desktop, allowing them to purchase iTunes content with PayPal on iTunes & the Mac App Store. It also allows its education customers to use PayPal for volume purchases of iOS apps, but the privilege didn’t extend to making purchases from the online store at Apple.com.

Apple’s help page for  payments and tax information in Germany explains how users can pay for their purchase via PayPal at checkout, but the feature doesn’t appear to have gone live anywhere else as of the time of this post.

Users will be directed to login using their PayPal username and password at the time of purchase.

We’ll be sure to let you know if it looks like the PayPal payment option is being rolled out anywhere else.

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YEEHAW! Apple CEO Tim Cook Says: ‘The Made-in-USA Mac Will be Assembled in Texas’

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62528 Texas Shape YEEHAW! Apple CEO Tim Cook Says: ‘The Made-in-USA Mac Will be Assembled in Texas’

During his testimony at yesterday’s witch hunt, um, Senate hearings regarding Apple’s tax strategies, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook made opening statements regarding Apple’s stance on the issues. While discussing Apple’s U.S. based operations, Cook noted that Apple’s upcoming “Made in the USA” Mac will be assembled in the great state of Texas.

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From Tim Cook’s opening statement, via 9to5Mac:

We’re using our earnings growth to invest billions of dollars in the U.S. to create even more American jobs. We’re investing $ 100 million to build a Mac product line here in the U.S. The product will be assembled in Texas, include components made in Illinois and Florida, and rely on equipment produced in Kentucky and Michigan.

Apple had not previously confirmed where the previously announced U.S. made Mac would be assembled. Apple’s main assembly partner, Foxconn, does have factories in Texas.

Apple also disclosed on Monday that components for the new Mac will be sourced from Arizona, Texas, Illinois, Florida and Kentucky.

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Apple Releases Statement Ahead of Tim Cook’s Tax Policy Senate Appearance

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1239c tim cook2 Apple Releases Statement Ahead of Tim Cook’s Tax Policy Senate Appearance

Apple has released a statement (PDF) outlining testimony due to be delivered this week to the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation by Apple CEO Tim Cook, CFO Peter Oppenheimer, and head of tax operations Phillip A. Bullock.

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MacRumors:

In the seventeen page statement, Apple notes that it has created hundreds of thousands of jobs in the United States — both directly and through suppliers and contractors. It notes that the company paid nearly $ 6 billion in federal taxes in fiscal 2012 and the company expects to pay $ 7 billion in 2013.

The company also says Apple “does not use tax gimmicks”, pushing back against reporting in The New York Times that examined Apple’s international tax strategies.

Apple goes on to say that it complies fully with both the laws and spirit of the laws, and pays all required taxes, both in this country and abroad.

The company also says it supports comprehensive U.S. corporate tax reform, proposing a new system that is ”revenue neutral, eliminates all tax expenditures, lowers tax rates and implements a reasonable tax on foreign earnings that allows free movement of capital back to the US.” Apple also notes that such reform would most likely result in the company paying even more in corporate tax than it does now.

Apple CEO Tim Cook and CFO Peter Oppenheimer will appear at 9:30AM Eastern time in front of the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation. The hearing is titled “Offshore Profit Shifting and the U.S. Tax Code – Part 2” and will be held in the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

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