Apple Hit With Patent Infringement Suit
On Monday, August 6, 2007, Florida-based SP Technologies filed a patent infringement suit against Apple, Inc. (Apple), the second intellectual property lawsuit to target Apple's new iPhone. SP Technologies alleges that the iPhone's keyboard infringes U.S. Patent No. 6,784,873 ("the '873 patent"), which issued in 2004. The '873 patent discloses a device with an "input area [that] may contain a keyboard which is an image map".
The '873 patent may refer to almost any 'soft keyboard' included in various existing PDAs and similar devices. The lawsuit indicates that SP Technologies seeks reasonable royalties from Apple. Critics say that the timing of the lawsuit is suspicious, as it singles out the iPhone and attempts to capitalize on the success of the iPhone.
To make matters even more interesting, the listed inventor on the patent, Peter V. Boesen, is facing more than four years in jail for health-care fraud. Additionally, Boesen has filed a number of patent suits in the past, including suits against LG, Kyocera and Canon.
The '873 patent may refer to almost any 'soft keyboard' included in various existing PDAs and similar devices. The lawsuit indicates that SP Technologies seeks reasonable royalties from Apple. Critics say that the timing of the lawsuit is suspicious, as it singles out the iPhone and attempts to capitalize on the success of the iPhone.
To make matters even more interesting, the listed inventor on the patent, Peter V. Boesen, is facing more than four years in jail for health-care fraud. Additionally, Boesen has filed a number of patent suits in the past, including suits against LG, Kyocera and Canon.
posted by Patents+TMS, P.C. at 4:47 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home