Apple facing new iPod and iTunes legal battles

Posted on 7 Mar 2005 at 13:20

Apple is facing two new legal battles, this time over alleged patent infringements by iPod and iTunes.

A small US company, Advanced Audio Devices, has filed a lawsuit claiming that the iPod infringes its Music Jukebox patent, awarded 1 July 2003. The company says that Apple ignored attempts to seek a resolution.

The patent abstract reads, 'The music jukebox is configured such that a music library of sound tracks is storable in the data storage structure. The music jukebox includes means for selecting a sound track from the music library stored in the data storage structure to play through the audio output structure, and the housing includes a display thereon which identifies sound tracks in the music library.'

Advanced Audio Devices was founded in 1997 to develop music storage products and currently has no revenues.

Meanwhile Hong Kong-based Pat-rights claims that the technology which enables songs bought on the iTunes Music Store to be played on up to five computers infringes its patent.

Apple uses a system of identification reliant upon a username (Apple ID) and password. Pat-rights claims this infringes its Internet/Remote User Identity Verification patent. It is claiming 12 per cent of Apple's revenues from the store and from iPods.

'We have kept a close watch on every development of iTunes. We believe this is willful infringement,'said Philip HK Tse, CEO of Pat-rights. 'We lose face. Apple shows no respect to us and our patent rights!'

He added that, 'If an injunction is granted, then Apple's customer will not be able to enjoy their music tracks as free as they have been.'

Author: Simon Aughton

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