Dark Atheist

Microsoft and Apple, along with a handful of other tech companies, find themselves strange bedfellows after being sued by a small company over a touch-screen patent.

The lawsuit, originally filed on July 15 in Texas Eastern District Court, alleges that Apple’s iPod, Microsoft’s Zune and other media-playing devices all use touch-screen technology invented by Tsera.

Microsoft and Apple are finding themselves the target of a small technology company named Tsera, which is alleging that both the Zune and iPod, along with several other devices, violate its touch-screen patent.

Nor are they the only companies in the cross-hairs; Tsera is seeking damages from 23 tech entities in total, including Bang & Olufsen, LG Electronics, Philips Electronics North America and Mach Speed Technologies. None of the defendants has issued a statement on the matter.

The lawsuit, originally filed on July 15 in Texas Eastern District Court, alleges that Microsoft’s Zune, along with Apple’s iPod and a host of other mass-market media players, violate a touch-screen patent filed by Tsera’s representatives in October 2003.

News Source: eWeek

ElementalDragon

This seems like another one of those lawsuits that won't go anywhere due to it being such a vaguely described patent. "Methods and apparatus for controlling a portable electronic device using a touchpad"? Hell.... why don't they sue any laptop manufacturer that has software that allows one to use gesture controls with the built in touchpad.... which would be pretty much any laptop manufacturer using a Synaptics/Elantech touchpad..... which is just about EVERY ONE!

yea... doubt this'll go anywhere anytime soon. IIRC, another lawsuit against a major company was thrown out due to the patent being way too vague of a description. it'd be like putting a patent on how a toilet functions..... saying that it moves a liquid, along with the waste, from one location to another.

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LordOfLA

eWeek need better editors. They said the same thing at least twice on all 5 lines of your copy/paste...

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Dark Atheist

that's their problem not mine, ctrl+c - ctrl+v

assclown

I hope i don't get sued for wiping my arse in certain ways patented by some small toilet paper company.

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Dark Atheist

use your left hand

drz01

I always do.

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Dark Atheist

what you do with your left hand is wrong and evil!!!!!!!11!!1!!!!

LeeJend

On the amusing side. Is anyone wondering why all these BS lawsuits seem to originate in TX?

A few years ago the TX State Legislature passed a law, under the influence of the Insurance Lobby, that capped the pain and suffering awards in personal injury lawsuits to a measly $250k. This effectively put thousands of lawyers out of a job. In their quest for a way to make money without really having to work for it the lawyers discovered the opportunities (billion$) possible in Intellectual Property lawsuits.

Wellah! A new industry was born in TX.

Off Topic but on the same rant.

Want to know what the TX Legislature did (again under the influene of the Insurance Lobby) to help it's residents last year? It made it legal to rear end somebodies car as long as less than $1k in damage is done. No criminal offense (i.e. ticket) is committed, no driving statute violated.

Two years ago the insurance lobby got the legislature to make it so your medical insurance is void if you are hurt in an accident or if you are hurt at work. Walk into a hospital or doctors office and when they ask you if you were in an accident or hurt at work LIE. Otherwise you get told you have to pay cash for treatment no matter how good your insurance is. TX has the worst workmens comp. in the country and medical riders on auto insurance are a joke.

I'm thinking it's time to move back to the People's Republic of New England. At least there the Insurance companies don't own the state legislature.

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Khayman

Wow, they sure do suck hard

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