Skip to main content

Business > News

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 Patent suit hits Apple , AT&T, others

A company launches action against 33 firms on strength of a recently approved patent

Jonny Evans

  • Email to a friend
  • Print this article
  • Bookmark this page
  • RSS feed

Apple, AT&T and 31 others have been slammed with a patent infringement lawsuit scant hours since the patent in question was granted.

The US Patent Office last week granted a smart phone patent to LA patent-holding firm, Minerva Industries. That firm then laid the suit down against 33 firms for patent infringement on the same day as the patent was granted.

Question of the day!

Mark Hattersley
Editor in Chief

Do you share your creations online?

Question of the day!

Do you share your creations online?

% of Macworld readers agree with you

Yes
TBC
No
TBC

What do you create and how do you share it?

124 characters remaining

Follow the conversation at @TabletChat

paintings & illustrations, mostly, which i upload to flickr.RT @fragmentedm

I draw manga/anime characters. I also do graphic design and photography.RT @spialelo

Yes. I usually put them up on my #deviantart account for feedback on how to improve.RT @spialelo

The patent is for a "mobile entertainment and communication device" that has "a cellular or satellite telephone capable of wireless communication with the internet."

The company has specifically accused Apple's iPhone of infringing on this retrospectively-granted patent, but says all 33 defendants in the case sell phones that are covered by it.

Patent experts believe the patent granted to be overly broad, making it highly likely the exercise of the patent will be opposed.

Apple, AT&T and others also face patent pressure from Klausner Technologies who claim to own the patent for the Visual Voicemail feature.

Email A Friend

Email this article to a friend or colleague:



PLEASE NOTE: Your name is used only to let the recipient know who sent the story, and in case of transmission error. Both your name and the recipient's name and address will not be used for any other purpose.

<<prev article | back to news index | next article>>

Latest News


More news...