O2 UK Launches Low-Energy Phone Charger

UK mobile operator, Telefónica O2 has announced the launch of an energy efficient universal mobile phone charger, which the company says is amongst the most energy efficient in the UK cutting energy consumption by as much as 70 per cent compared to standard mobile phone chargers.

The O2 Universal Charger, which meets the strict energy efficient guidelines of the US Energy Star rating, contains a power control system. This system considerably reduces charge to the mobile phone once the battery is fully charged even if the charger is left switched on in a plug socket. O2 estimates that phones left on charge costs Brits over £30 million in wasted energy every year. Heat loss from the charger has also been eliminated, another source of significant energy loss from standard mobile chargers.

Recent research conducted by O2 has revealed that a typical mobile phone charger wastes over 2.8 KWh of energy per year. O2 estimates that by cutting off the unneeded charge to mobile phones, the Universal Charger could save the equivalent carbon emissions of over 36,000 cars per annum. In addition to being energy efficient, the base unit of the Universal Charger will be accompanied by an inter-changeable leads making the charger compatible with most leading brands of mobile phones and eliminating the need to use a different charger with each mobile.

Ronan Dunne, CEO, Telefónica O2 UK, comments: “People are becoming increasingly concerned about the impact products are having on the environment and with mobile the single biggest impact is the energy used in charging. The O2 Universal Charger offers customers a simple yet effective way of reducing the environmental impact of their phones and reduces the waste associated with charger disposal.”

Resource - cellular-news

Court ruling strengthens patent protection for UK software

Technology companies will find it easier to safeguard their innovations in the UK after a court ruled that software should receive wider patent protection.

The Court of Appeal said today that complex software such as programmes designed to make mobile phones and computers work faster can be patented in the UK.

Previously, manufacturers could claim commercial exclusivity for their products under copyright laws but had less legal protection for underlying technical processes.

As a result of the ruling, developers are likely to find it easier to secure approval from the UK’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO), which has traditionally been reluctant to grant patents to cover software.

Related Links

• Innovation belongs to employers, court says, as Euronext wins

• A judge by any other name: the fashion in legal titles

• Piracy worse in US than China

William Cook, a partner at Simmons and Simmons, said the court’s decision would bring the UK’s patent regime into line with Europe, which is much more open to granting software protection.

The ruling relates to a case in which the IPO had refused to grant a patent for an accelerator programme designed to make iPods, mobile phones and computers run quicker.

The High Court had previously ruled that the application’s developer, Symbian, an IT group part-owned by Nokia, should be granted a UK patent. The Court of Appeal today endorsed its decision.

Lawyers said that the IPO, which appealed the High Court's initial decision, will now have to take a softer, more innovation-friendly approach to this type of computer software.

Jeremy Morton, a partner at Fasken Martineau, the law firm, said: “It is clear that the UK IPO has been applying too restrictive a test. The message is software inventions are clearly patentable.”

Lawyers added that the ruling will not only allow developers to secure patents in the UK but will also strengthen the status of any Europe-wide patents they hold.

Historically, the reluctance of the IPO to grant patents in this country has forced many to apply to the European Patent Office (EPO) in Munich instead. Those patents are regarded as valid in the UK unless challenged in court, whereby they are relatively easy to overturn.

Mr Cook said that after today’s ruling European patents will be harder to challenge in British courts.

The ruling is likely to provoke criticism from those who argue that large technology companies are already too powerful. Robin Fry, a partner at Beachcroft, said: “Whether there should be monopolies on new ways of operating mobile phones and cameras is still a controversial issue. We need clear guidance from Brussels as to whether allowing these kind of patents helps our economies or stifles innovation.”

Accelerator programmes, which are packaged into operating systems, are one of largest growth areas in software development. Niche companies such as Symbian compete with technology giants Google, Microsoft and IBM.'

Resource - Times Online