By: Julia Justusson
Whether companies use patent portfolios to encourage innovation or to stifle competition, protecting intellectual property (IP) is an important part of corporate strategy. As ktMINE has previously noted, companies rely on patent and trademark infringement litigation to prevent competitors from copying valuable designs and inventions. Apple, in one notable example, has been arguing in court since 2011 that Samsung committed patent infringement in copying features of its smartphones and tablets. In the latest verdict in late May of this year, the U.S. District Court in San Jose ordered Samsung to pay Apple $539 million in damages for infringing upon three design patents and two utility patents.
Apple has fully embraced using the technology patent system to their advantage, dating back to Steve Jobs’ determination in 2006 to protect the iPhone before its first release. According to the company’s former general counsel Nancy Heinen, “[Steve Jobs’] attitude was that if someone at Apple can dream it up, then we should apply for a patent, because even if we never build it, it’s a defensive tool.” Apple’s extensive patent portfolio reveals certain trends in research and development, but also indicates the company’s intent to use its IP as a tool to prevent competitors from either copying existing technologies or bringing Apple’s “original” ideas to fruition first.
Read more >> https://www.ktmine.com/exploring-intellectual-property-at-apple-a-study-of-strategy-and-patterns/
