Companies Claim iTMS, iPod Patent Infringement

ryan_fung writes "A Hong Kong based company, Pat-rights, is claiming that Apple's iTunes Music Store is infringing their patent on 'Internet User Identity Verification' and is demanding Apple pay 'a reasonable license fee, 12% of gross sales of iTunes music tracks and iPods.'" (They also claim infringement by eBay, porn sites, and others.) Reader bblazer links to a Register article which mentions both the Pat-Rights claim and another suit entirely. From the article: "Apple has found itself facing a pair of intellectual property challenges that separately claim its FairPlay DRM system and its iPod music player contain technologies to which the Mac maker does not have a right. First up, Lake Forest, Illinois-based Advanced Audio Devices (AAD) alleges its patent, number 6,587,403, for a 'music jukebox,' filed in August 2000 but granted in July 2003, covers the kind of thing Apple has brought to market as the iPod."

Comments

The actual patent link

[millahtime]

The actual patent is interesting to read. Click here to read it

What do you expect from a company called Pat-Right

[Paco23]

From their own website:

"Pat" stands for PATENT, "Pat-rights" means patent rights.

Early in 1995, Founder of Pat-rights, Mr. Philip H.K. TSE visualised Internet as the most promising environment for digital content distribution and began to develop ideas and technologies essential for these changes.

As a result of his long term efforts, several national patents are being issued. And, some of them are being infringed by Global Industrial giants."

http://www.pat-rights.com/

The company's whole business model is built around going after companies over IP.

Darl, is that you?

Paco23