Boston University patent suit over Apple's iPhone 5 could net $75M

By Kevin Bostic

Apple's iPhone is at the center of another patent dispute, as the Trustees of Boston University have filed suit against the Cupertino company, alleging that not only the iPhone 5 but also the iPad and MacBook Air infringe on a BU professor's patent.

At issue in the suit is U.S. Patent No. 5,686,738, covering a method of "highly insulating monocrystalline gallium nitride thin films." Theodor D. Moustakas, Ph.D., a BU professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, is listed as the inventor of the '738 patent, and the University as the assignee owns the right, title, and interest to the patent.

The process in the patent is related to the production of semiconductor devices using silicon, sapphire, gallium aresenide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide, and silicon carbide. Gallium nitride thin films, a product of the process, are desirable in electronics due to their being a source of inexpensive and compact solid-state blue lasers.

The plaintiffs claim that Apple's iPhone 5, iPad, and MacBook Air "include a gallium nitride thin film semiconductor device" of the type described in the '738 patent. The suit alleges that Apple "has infringed, and continues to infringe, one or more claims of the '738 patent."

BU's case would seem to be bolstered by the fact that at least one other company pays a licensing fee to use the component in question, the Boston Herald reported on Wednesday. The University will likely raise that issue in court.

Boston University has also filed identical claims against eight other smaller manufacturers, as well as claims against both Samsung and Amazon in the past year. Observers note that the payout from the Apple suit could top out around $75 million if the University can demonstrate that Moustakas intended to make a business out of his invention.

The University's suit calls for Apple to detail all "gains, profits, and advantages" stemming from its use of the '738 patent, as well as awarded damages to compensate for the infringement. The suit also calls for the court to permanently enjoin Apple from making and selling any of the infringing products.

In its filing, Boston University asks the court for a trial by jury on all matters suitable for trial by jury. The case, Civil Action No. 1:13-cv-11575, was filed on July 2 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. F. Dennis Saylor is the presiding judge.

Trustees of Boston University v. Apple

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Questions for Google about Android security, Glass privacy

As European officials continue to voice concerns about privacy, surveillance, and Google’s products, researchers released a report this week on the security of the search engine company’s operating system:

Security researchers believe they have found a major security flaw in Google’s Android mobile operating system, which could affect up to 99 percent of Android phones now in consumers’ hands . . .

The problem lies in the security verification process that has been used on the Google Play applications store since the release of Android 1.6. It could leave up to 900 million devices open to hackers. The flaw, the research firm said, is a weakness in the way that Android applications verify changes to their code. The weakness would allow hackers to “turn any legitimate application into a malicious Trojan” without flagging the attention of Google’s app store, a mobile phone or the person using an application.

The result, researchers said, would be that anyone who breaks into an app this way would have access to the data that app collects and — if an app made by the device manufacturer gets exploited — could even “take over normal functioning of a phone.”. . .

Security is a common concern on Android phones, in part because the open nature of the system also means that it’s easy for anyone to find out how it works. Android is the OS of choice for 75 percent of the world’s smartphones, IDC reported in May. But a report released in March from the F-Secure security firm found that 79 percent of all mobile malware found in 2012 was running on Android phones.

This problem is exacerbated by the fact that so many smartphone manufacturers use their own versions of the Android operating system, making it more difficult to get system updates that may include security fixes out to customers. Hayley Tsukayama

On the same day that the report was released, a German official advised users to avoid certain companies, including Google, that share information with the U.S. government if they are concerned about eavesdropping:

NSA leaker Edward Snowden claimed Google, Facebook and Microsoft were among several Internet companies to give the U.S. National Security Agency access to their users’ data under a program known as PRISM. The companies have contested this, but the claims prompted outrage in Europe and calls for tighter international rules on data protection.

“Whoever fears their communication is being intercepted in any way should use services that don’t go through American servers,” German Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich said.

He also said German officials are in touch with their U.S. counterparts “on all levels” and a delegation is scheduled to fly to Washington next week to discuss the claims that ordinary citizens — and even European diplomats — were being spied upon by the NSA. Associated Press

British regulators announced Thursday that they have asked Google to revise its privacy policy:

Google is facing more pressure in Europe as British regulators ordered the tech giant to make changes to its privacy policy in Europe by Sept. 20, following actions earlier this month from France and Spain. . .

The agency said that it was particularly concerned that Google’s policy, which went into effect in March and covers over 60 Google services, does not give users enough information about the data the firm collects and how it is used. It also has concerns that the policy does not share enough information about how long Google keeps user data.

If Google does not amend its policy, the British agency said, it will “leave the company open to the possibility of formal enforcement action.” The Guardian reported that the company could also face fines of up to $750,000, but only if there is proof that individuals may have been harmed by the policy.

Also on Thursday, the data protection office in Hamburg, Germany — where Google’s German office is based — said in a statement that it will be calling Google in for a hearing over concerns that the policy’s provisions on data collection are unclear.

Data protection officials from across the European Union have been scrutinizing Google’s privacy protections. The French data protection authority CNIL, which led a year-long investigation into Google’s privacy policy, and said in its order to the company in June that regulators in the Netherlands and Italy were assessing whether the policy violated data protection rules in those countries. Hayley Tsukayama

While European regulators have been more skeptical of Google’s policies than their counterparts in the United States, lawmakers in Congress have questioned Google about its new Glass headware:

On Monday, Google attempted to assure U.S. lawmakers that the headset, which mimics many of the functions of a smartphone, does not push the barriers of its privacy standards. But that was not enough to satisfy some lawmakers’ lingering concerns. . .

Rep. Joe Barton (R-Tex.), co-chairman of the caucus, said that Google has failed to answer the key question: How can it ensure the privacy of passersby who have not agreed to be photographed or videotaped?

He said that there ought to be a way to alert individuals that they may be on camera and that there should be limits on the types of data that Google and other companies can collect from it, as well as limits on how long that data can be stored.

“There do not appear to me to be strong privacy protections for the population at large, or even ownership protection for the user of the Google Glass product,” Barton said. Hayley Tsukayama

Google has argued that it will be clear to people in the vicinity when the device is active or recording.

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Hidden Google Glass code hints at 'Boutique' app store

As Google continues to shape its pre-release version of Google Glass, the latest firmware update has brought new features such a web browser - but it turns out that there are also a few other hints below the surface.
The most interesting new discovery lying dormant in the XE7 APK update code is a "Boutique" which hints at being a centralised app store.
Google Glass is currently lacking a go-to destination for applications, and the new discovery reveals that something is coming to fill that gap, well ahead of its consumer release.

Lock 'n' load

Another welcome new feature hinted at is a locking mechanism, which would function by the wearer swiping in a specific pattern.
This is something Google has mentioned in the past in response to questions over what happens when someone steals your Glass and suddenly has access to all your information.
Also buried in the code are some new media player functions, featuring playback controls, track information and some talk of a video player as well. Volume control has been officially added already, so everything seems to be coming together nicely.
There's no way of knowing when these new features will arrive, but the fact they're showing up in the coding now should mean that Google is busily working to get them out the door soon.
Check out a demo of the Google Glass XE7 web browser below.

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