James Delahunty
16 May 2006 20:40
Creative Technologies Inc. has sued Apple Computer Inc. in the U.S. District Court in California for infringing its patented technology. The suit demands an injunction to stop Apple from selling it's iPod and iPod Nano MP3 players in the United States. Additionally, Creative has filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission seeking the injunction. The company is accusing Apple of infringing on a patent that was awarded to Creative last August.
The patent in question covers the Zen player's user interface. Creative CEO Sim Wong Hoo had vowed late last year to "aggressively pursue" companies that infringe Creative's key patent. Apple's iPod player holds around three quarters of the MP3 player market so it's understandable that Creative wants to get a cut. Creative has tried to steal some of Apple's share of the market, releasing players like the Vision:M to take on the iPod video player head on.
Creative is not the first company to complain that Apple's iPod players infringe their technology. Pat-rights, a Hong Kong company, claims that Apple's FairPlay Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology infringes its intellectual property. Also Contois Music & Technology claims that Apple uses its patented technology for the iTunes interface.
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ZDNet