if this was the case then Apple would stop selling iPods as they are
already having action taken concerning the iPod by a company that
claims they patented the idea of... well basically any sort of
portable computerised musical jukebox... the trouble with patents is
that most are lodged for such broad ranging ideas that if the
companies stopped selling products that were were to seen to breach
such patents then pretty much nothing new would get sold.
more likely (and realistically) they are fishing for an out court
settlement to make the problem go away
---------------------- excerpt from <http://www.smh.com.au/news> --------
A Hong Kong firm is seeking a share of earnings from computer giant
Apple, claiming its patented technology is being used in the successful
iTunes music download service, the company's website says.
Apple marketing manager in Hong Kong, June Lau, confirmed on Thursday
that local tech firm Pat-rights had contacted the Californian computer
firm regarding the claims. Lau would make no further comment.
An entry on the Pat-rights website says that if Apple does not pay 12
percent of gross iTunes earnings by March 21 it will sue.
According to US Patent Office records, Keung Tse-ho - whom the website
claims is Pat-rights' founder - was awarded a patent in December 2003 for
a design that allowed the "protection of software against unauthorised use".
The design was also lodged with Australian patent authorities.
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