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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.

 
Previous Comments

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

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: May 2008

+11

comment title

10/09, 02:02pm reply

Funny how iTunes had the described services YEARS before the patent came around...

Lame.

danviento

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Dec 2005

+4

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

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2001

+4

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

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Sep 2001

+3

comment title

10/09, 02:59pm reply

US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas is big US patent Joke.

Mwei

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2009

+5

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

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Sep 2007

+2

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

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2004

0

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