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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."
Anyone else think software patents are a good idea? Anyone? No? Hm.
The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
Maybe they should pull an SCO and start suing iPod owners and people who buy music from iTMS.
Its about time Apple has a taste of their own medacine... Maybe one of these days they will realize that harm done against legitimate rights will bring ten fold the harm into their own house.
I would like to take this moment to say a big Thank You to the companies who are standing up against Apple's blatant abuse of their IP rights. I guess we should have seen this coming. It was only a matter of time before the Karma came back to bite them in the ass. Not to steal a quote from George Bush but I can't resist: Bring it on!
Your ignorance is infinitely greater than you realize.