Japan

News Byte

Apple Adds Thousands of Japanese Titles to iBooks

John Paczkowski in News on March 5 at 10:07 am PT

Apple on Tuesday rolled out an incremental update to its iBooks application, one that transforms the Japanese version of the iBookstore into a true bookstore, not just a repository of public domain content. The new version, iBooks 3.1, includes hundreds of thousands of Japanese language titles, thanks to some new publishing-house distribution deals we reported on back in January.

News Byte

Samsung Loses Bid to Block iPad, iPhone in Japan

John Paczkowski in Mobile on February 28 at 9:54 am PT

Samsung came up short in its bid to block sales of Apple’s iPads and iPhones in Japan. The Tokyo District Court ruled Thursday that Apple’s iOS devices do not infringe a Samsung patent on wireless transmission technology, and that the Korean company has no right to seek damages against Apple, let alone a sales ban. Samsung said it was “disappointed that our argument was not accepted by the court.”

News Byte

Microsoft’s Surface Headed to Japan

John Paczkowski in News on February 25 at 4:15 am PT

Surface RT, the consumer version of Microsoft’s new tablet, is headed to another important market. After debuting the RT in the U.S., Canada and a few other countries last fall, Microsoft is preparing to release the device in Japan — perhaps as early as next month. Sources close to Microsoft tell the Nikkei that Microsoft intends to bring Surface RT to Japan in March, a move that will pit the Microsoft-designed device against competing offerings from local manufacturing partners like Sony and Fujitsu.

News Byte

Apple Appeals Patent Suit Loss to Samsung in Japan

John Paczkowski in News on October 15, 2012 at 2:59 pm PT

Apple’s taking another run at Samsung in Japan. The iPhone maker on Monday appealed to the Intellectual Property High Court in Tokyo a District Court ruling that found Samsung did not infringe its patent on a means of synchronizing music and video on mobile devices. Apple first sued Samsung in Japan last year seeking $1.3 million in damages for violation of its intellectual property. It lost, and its request for an injunction against eight models of Galaxy products in the country was rejected.

News Byte

And to Think They Used to Say the Japanese Hated the iPhone …

John Paczkowski in News on March 30, 2012 at 1:07 pm PT

More accolades for Apple from abroad. This morning, the company was ranked by the Nikkei as the top consumer brand in Japan, the first time it has ever been so honored. In the publication’s survey of 52,000 consumers, Apple captured an overall “brand power” score of 90.5 percent, elevating to it first place in 2012, from 11th place in 2011. In doing so, it bested not only Google, but Uniqlo, YouTube and Disney.