Apple, news websites sued for 'iTunes distribution'
updated 01:25 pm EDT, Fri October 9, 2009
Apple accusation involves iTunes
Apple and several news organizations have been named as defendants in a new patent infringement lawsuit, brought by a California business called Online News Link. The company accuses the other parties in the suit of violating US patent 7,508,789, awarded in March of this year, which describes a system for the fast search and retrieval of broadcast information over the Internet. "The amount of information delivered is preferably sufficient to satisfy the needs of a large number of subscribers so they do not have to obtain additional information using the bi-directional channel," the patent reads, adding that "the broadcast information is stored on fast storage media located at subscriber sites."
The complaint against Apple is specifically directed towards iTunes, and its "email and Web-based products, systems, and services offered," according to ONL's court filing. "Each Defendant has purposefully and voluntarily placed one or more of its infringing products, services, and systems into the stream of commerce," the company charges.
Some of the other defendants named include Dow Jones, Forbes, TheStreet and The Dallas Morning News. The suit is being processed through the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, where ONL is asking for a jury trial, with the aim of recouping costs and damages. Many such cases are settled out of court.
give me a f****** break
10/09, 01:46pm reply
How about we file a class-action lawsuit against both the patent office for approving this patent, and against the plaintiff for wasting everyone's time and being a parasite?
icewing
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Joined: May 2008
comment title
10/09, 02:02pm reply
Funny how iTunes had the described services YEARS before the patent came around...
Lame.
danviento
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Joined: Dec 2005
They patented what again?
10/09, 02:05pm (1 reply) reply
Are they trying to say they patented the concept of "download" six months ago?
Zaren
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Joined: Aug 2001
guess where it was filed
10/09, 02:20pm reply
in the litigation lottery mecca of the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.
climacs
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Joined: Sep 2001
comment title
10/09, 02:59pm reply
US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas is big US patent Joke.
Mwei
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Joined: Aug 2009
Hmmm,
10/09, 03:54pm reply
Can I patent the use of a pro-law suit location for hearing patent lawsuits so that my lame and outdated idea that got a patent has a great chance of success?????
Then could I sue every person that sued in Marshall and won???
Just a thought.
en
Eldernorm
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Joined: Sep 2007
It's the World's Most Vague Patent
10/09, 08:58pm reply
Congratulations to the US Patent Office for allowing bogus patents to be awarded. This patent is a re-hash of the satellite Internet web cache! Give me a break. This what DirecTV satellite Internet service has been using for years!
The patent is available online for review at FreePatentsOnline. The patent does not apply to Apple or iTunes. The patent is about delivering web browsing by use of 2 independent channels: a bi-directional channel and a uni-directional channel. In their specific application, satellites. Sadly, the attempt to pull-in Apple into this is weak, as generalising the satellite out of the patent overlaps with previous patents which are also not applicable!
Pathetic!
zimbardo
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Joined: Aug 2004