Back in 2008, Mirror Worlds LLC accused Apple of patent infringement for its Cover Flow, Spotlight, and Time Machine technologies. While the initial jury ruled against Apple and levied a fine of $625.5 million, a later appeal in federal court saw the ruling reversed.
Following further appeal by Mirror Worlds, the dispute made it to the Supreme Court, which today left the federal judgement in place after refusing to hear the case, reports Bloomberg.
Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s victory in a patent-infringement case was left intact as the U.S. Supreme Court rebuffed a Texas company’s effort to revive a $208.5 million verdict against the computer maker.
The high court declined to hear a case in which closely held Mirror Worlds LLC said an appeals court erred in ruling that Apple didn’t infringe a software patent for a way to index and file documents. Mirror Worlds was co-founded by Yale University computer-science Professor David Gelernter.
With the Supreme Court declining to hear the case, Apple’s victory against Mirror Worlds will stand and the company will not be required to pay the $625 million fine.
Top Rated Comments
Although they might have actually invented something, there now nothing more than a Patent Troll.
This actually reduces those damages to zero.
Actually, the Supreme Court doesn't rule on many of the cases that it receives.
Their "patent" was on the how documents get displayed on the screen.
They released a product in 2001 that organize files in a timeline fashion and discounting in 2004.
That was "it" from them...
When a "company" doesn't even have a website in the year 2013.They are not a company..
They are patent trolls.
The "inventor" doesn't even own his patents.
BTW Network-1 company(Patent Troll) purchased all of Mirror Worlds patents...for 3 million dollars,lol
This is way too much to parse.
If you really care, please read up on the difference between criminal homicide and civil wrongful death.
For criminal - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model_Penal_Code and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder
For civil - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrongful_death_claim
Basically, you can be liable for a death and not be guilty of the crime of murder. Those two things can happen, they are about two very different things. Culpability versus liability.
Consider that the reason expensive lawyers always win is because they pick and choose their clients; they only pick the cases they know they are likely to win. Sometimes because they know the client has a good defense (alibi, or what have you), or sometimes because they know the prosecutor is an idiot. Consider that public defenders do try, but they are so incredibly overworked and stretched thin it's impossible for them. These are major issues, you're right to be skeptical about the system.
You're correct to be pessemestic about our current court system, but some of your ideas of it are misguided. Our court system is in poor shape, but it's not for the reasons you give.
Otherwise, this is way off topic for this tread now; nothing to do with patent disputes anymore. If you want, PM me to continue this conversation.