Judge Rules on Closely-Watched Microsoft-Google Patent Trial
A federal judge has ruled that Microsoft owes less than half of the royalty payments sought by Google's Motorola Mobility in a closely watched patent trial.
patents
On Verge of Earnings Decline, Apples Wins Patent Spat
Apple is expected to post its first earnings decline in a decade. Separately, the company won the latest of a series of legal skirmishes with Google over smartphone patents.
FDA Blocks Generic OxyContin, Widely Abused Narcotic
Regulators said yesterday that generic drugmakers would not be licensed to make cheap versions of Purdue Pharma's OxyContin, a powerful and widely abused narcotic.
Supreme Court Considers Patents on Human Genes
The question before the Court today is whether a company can claim human DNA as intellectual property. Billions of dollars and millions of lives could be at stake.
Judge Cuts Apple Award Versus Samsung, Sets New Damages Trial
Apple had a major setback in its mobile patents battle with Samsung Electronics on Friday, as a federal judge slashed a $1.05 billion jury award by more than 40 percent and set a new trial to determine damages.
TV That Watches You: Tech Giants Are Patenting a Creepy Future
How much privacy are you willing to give up? Imagine a gadget in your den that knows if you're arguing with your spouse. Or a device that blocks an R-rated show when a child enters the room. Based on their patent applications, Microsoft and Verizon have plans for just such technology.
How Patent Madness Is Killing Innovation and Costing Us Billions
Big creative companies like Apple are taking out patents on everything they can think of -- lest they develop an idea only to discover someone else claimed it first. That may sound sensible on the surface -- but the rules of the patent game are actually doing more harm than good.
Wall Street Watch Tuesday: Will Google Pay the Troll?
Google is set to do battle with a patent troll this morning, and whether the search giant wins or loses, there's a lot at stake.
What Apple's $1 Billion Victory Means for Consumers
Apple's $1 billion court victory over Samsung poses a lot of questions for consumers. Will Samsung phones still be available for sale? Will they be more expensive? Will owners of existing phones need to worry?
Cheaper K-Cups: Good for Us, But Bad for Keurig's Maker
As far as java sippers go, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters is hot. They love its Keurig single-cup brewers and K-cups. Investors see a different company entirely, and the outlook for that one appears bitter.
AOL Sells 800 Patents to Microsoft for $1.06 Billion
AOL said Monday that it would sell 800 patents and their related applications to Microsoft and grant it a license for its remaining patents for a total about $1.06 billion in cash. AOL plans to return some of the proceeds to its shareholders.
Kodak Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
Photography icon Eastman Kodak has filed for bankruptcy, as it seeks to boost its cash position and stay in business. The move comes as the ailing company has failed to find a buyer for its multibillion-dollar trove of digital imaging patents.
The Five Best-Performing Biotech Stocks of 2011 -- So Far
Pharmaceuticals are facing big patent cliff problems this year, but several biotechnology stocks have been doing quite well: Their biologic drugs command high prices, tend become blockbusters, and they are in far less danger from generic competition. Here are the big winners so far this year.
Pfizer Shrinks Its Drug Pipeline Amid R&D Cuts
In an update Tuesday, Pfizer said it is discontinuing 15 of the projects in its development pipeline. The news comes a month after the world's largest pharmaceutical company announced large research and development cuts were on the way.
Sanofi-Aventis, Genzyme on the Brink of a Merger
It seems that months of merger talks between French pharma Sanofi-Aventis and U.S. biotech Genzyme have entered the home stretch. This week, Sanofi is expected to offer $74 a share for Genzyme, with an option included potentially worth $5 to $6 a share.