US firm sues 32 technology companies over patents
Published on April 1, 2011 by taslim · No Comments
SHINY TOY VENDOR Apple and 31 other technology companies are being sued for alleged patent infringement.
Another week, another patent lawsuit in the mobile market. This time a small Texas company called HW Technology has set its law dogs on 32 technology companies. The company is targeting the mobile divisions of those companies and it could be that the HW Technology is hoping the more it sues, the more chances it has of hitting at least one.
HW Technology claimed in the lawsuit filed at the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division, that 32 companies have infringed registered patent number ’955. That patent covers Internet protocol mobiles with search and advertising capabilities.
The patent is “a software platform in an Internet Protocol (IP) phone having the ability to be used with different communication infrastructures such as broadband, wireless communication and Plain Old Telephone System (POTS) service”.
According to Loop Insight, the list of companies lined up in HW Technology’s sights includes Apple, RIM, Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Motorola and HTC. HW Technology is also targeting companies that offered a channel to use the search and advertising facilities in the allegedly infringed patent. That means Google and Amazon are also in the line of fire.
Apparently, HW Technology is asking for a cease and desist order but we don’t know how much it is asking for in damages. If it aims as high as Kodak’s recent court filing against RIM and Apple, it could be looking for $1 billion.
Only earlier this week RIM made a deal to protect itself from future litigation by signing up with the patent holding company Intellectual Ventures. That deal gives RIM access to over 30,000 patents. µ
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Tags: Advertising, Broadband, Capability, Communications, Companies, IP Protocal.HW Technology, Platform, Software, Technology, Wireless
