Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Apple’s Chief Patent Lawyer Departs

Apple’s been all kinds of patent-happy of late, attacking all and sundry for violating their IP and patents. In a bizarre twist. Apple’s chief patent lawyer is rumored to be leaving, and without a clear reason we’re all left wondering what’s going on.

Richard “Chip” Lutton Jr. has been in charge of Apple’s patents for a decade now, and rumors peg that he’s departing to be replaced by BJ Watrous, a former deputy general counsel with Hewlett Packard,.

While there’s no evidence for this whatsoever, I can’t help but wonder if the constant legal battles — some instigated by Apple, some by other companies — had finally become enough for Lutton.

Some are suggesting the change has occurred due Samsung’s push for many of Apple’s outside lawyers to be removed for conflicts of interest — if such a conflict was in evidence, it would be a major black mark against Lutton for not vetting said lawyers.

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