Sources are claiming that Apple’s chief patent lawyer is leaving soon. The source claims Richard Lutton Junior could be leaving as early as next month.

Samsung has demanded that the Apple legal team be disqualified from the legal proceedings between the two firms, the reason for the demand is that Samsung claims the team has insider knowledge.

Chip design company Elan Microelectronics of Taiwan has filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in San Fransisco. Through the claim, it has been listed that two of the companies patents have been infringed upon through the developments of the MacBook, iPhone and iPod Touch. Added to this includes two years worth of negotiations with Cupertino a Californian firm to work out a licensing arrangement, which have failed.

The same firm has brought forward claims before. In 2006 against Synaptics (who countersued) saw an agreement between both firms a cross-licensing deal after Elan had won a preliminary court injunction. The current patents in question involve a “multiple fingers contact sensing method for emulating mouse buttons and mouse operations on a touch sensor pad.” The Taiwanese firm has been referenced to saying that it wants to receive royalties and a licensing agreement that would also cover future offerings from Apple. Jill Tan, a spokeswoman for the American firm, said that Apple would not comment on the lawsuit.

[via The New York Times]

Swiss communications firm, Monec Holding, has reportedly filed suit in a Virginia district court. Monec accuses the iPhone maker of “patent infringement, unfair trade practices, monopolization, and tortious interference for allegedly treading on its January 2002 patent No. 6,335,678 titled ‘Electronic device, preferably an electronic book.’” Monec is “a leading innovator for mobile, globally usable communication solutions…with user-friendly products and pioneering solutions, Monec provides companies and users with secure, wireless access solutions which offer highest degree of flexibility, functionality, speed and independence.”

The seriousness about the filing is Monec claiming that Apple violated their patent. Reasons for the lawsuit suggest that Apple violated it via the development of a “lightweight” electronic device with a “touch-screen” LCD display. This having the “dimensions approximately one page of a book can be illustrated at normal size, this display being integrated in a flat, frame-like housing.” There have been eBook applications available for a while although the lawsuit has only come to light now.

[via CNET]

This time, the law is getting involved against Apple and AT&T claiming that the Internet access on the iPhone 3G is too slow. Or at the very least, slow enough to be considered false advertising on Apple’s part. Previous legal papers have been filed against iPhone 3G reception and speed. Through the current legal battle, the presentation of marketing and product information may change.

One part worth noting is that Apple are not supplying or maintaining the infrastructure to which the iPhone relies. Advertising can be a little over to top however the network itself is owned by AT&T. After previous problems relating to reception for the iPhone have been fixed, this seems to be more of a problem for AT&T. Updates and information about the matter will be posted as soon as they come to hand.

[via TechSpot]