Samsung Ordered to Pay $445.5 Million in U.S. Patent Verdict Over Wireless Technology

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A federal jury in Marshall, Texas, has ruled that Samsung Electronics must pay nearly $445.5 million in damages to Collision Communications for infringing on patents tied to 4G, 5G, and Wi-Fi technologies.

The jury determined that several Samsung products — including its Galaxy smartphones, laptops, and other wireless-enabled devices — violated four patents held by the New Hampshire-based firm. The verdict marks yet another major legal setback for Samsung in the same Texas court, which has issued multiple high-value patent rulings against the company in recent years.

Collision Communications filed its lawsuit in 2023, alleging Samsung used patented innovations designed to improve wireless network efficiency. The company said the technology originated from research done by defense contractor BAE Systems, though BAE was not involved in the case.

Samsung denied the infringement claims and argued the patents were invalid. Neither company’s representatives immediately commented on the verdict.

Marshall, Texas, has become a notable hotspot for high-stakes intellectual property litigation, drawing some of the world’s biggest tech firms into multimillion-dollar disputes.

Activision Executives Must Face Shareholder Claims Over Microsoft Takeover, Judge Rules

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A Delaware judge has ruled that former Activision Blizzard executives, including longtime CEO Bobby Kotick, must face key shareholder claims alleging they sold the company too cheaply in Microsoft’s $75.4 billion acquisition of the “Call of Duty” maker.

Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick of the Delaware Chancery Court said shareholders, led by Sweden’s Sjunde AP-Fonden pension fund, can proceed with their core allegation that Kotick and Activision’s board breached their fiduciary duties by favoring Microsoft for personal gain.

The lawsuit claims Kotick rushed into the deal to secure his job and collect $400 million in change-of-control benefits, while insulating himself from potential liability over allegations of widespread sexual harassment at the company. Plaintiffs also argue that the $95 per share sale price undervalued Activision, especially as its performance improved during the lengthy 21-month regulatory review before the merger closed in October 2023.

McCormick’s 83-page opinion found it “reasonably conceivable” that Activision’s board prioritized Kotick’s interests over shareholders and accepted a lowball offer. However, she dismissed claims that Microsoft aided the alleged misconduct, noting that the company may have “passively stood by.”

“Litigation on the merits of a trimmed-down version of the plaintiff’s complaint can now launch,” McCormick wrote. “Game on.”

Microsoft said it believes the remaining claims will be disproved, insisting the deal was “fairly negotiated and delivered great value to shareholders.”

U.S. Senator Demands Telecom Firms Reveal Data Subpoena Details Linked to Jan. 6 Probe

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Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn has called on telecom giants AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile to disclose whether they received or challenged subpoenas for phone data belonging to eight U.S. senators, including herself, in connection with the Justice Department’s investigation into the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

The request follows the release of a 2023 document showing that the FBI obtained “toll records” — metadata including call times and durations — from lawmakers’ phones as part of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s probe into efforts by former President Donald Trump to overturn the 2020 election.

Verizon confirmed it complied with a valid grand jury subpoena and a court order to maintain confidentiality, saying it had “no knowledge of the investigation’s purpose.” Blackburn is pressing the companies to clarify whether the seized data came from lawmakers’ personal or official government devices.

Senator Bill Hagerty, another affected lawmaker, said he also demanded explanations from Verizon regarding his own phone records. The subpoenas reportedly covered calls made between January 4 and January 7, 2021.

The case stems from Smith’s now-dropped prosecution of Trump, which was suspended after his 2024 election victory. The Justice Department later cited its policy against indicting a sitting president, though Smith’s report stated the evidence gathered “would have been sufficient to convict.”

Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr said the agency would participate in efforts “to get to the bottom of what happened,” amid rising concerns about government access to lawmakers’ communications.