The Inquirer reports that Illinois firm, Premier International, is suing Apple for claimed breaches of two of the company’s patents. “Premier took action in a Texas district court earlier this month alleging that Apple breached its patent numbers 6,243,725 and 6,763,345. These patents, claimed Premier, have been incorporated into iPod, iTunes and PC product lines. The first of the patents is a list building system granted in June 2001 for building an inventory of audio, musical, and audio visual works. The second is also for a list building system, granted on July 13th 2004.”
Full article here.
United States Patent #6,243,725 here.
United States Patent #6,763,345 here.
Advertisements: Apple iPod nano. 1,000 songs. Impossibly small. From $199. Free shipping.
The New iPod with Video. The ultimate music + video experience on the go. From $299. Free shipping.
Yeah. I’ve been writing lists and using computer databases to make lists and organize them for 20 odd years. Perhaps I should sue everyone who stile my idea!
MW: help. Help! I can’t take this patent nonsense any more.
Next thing you know someone is going to be sued for using the english language. This is ridiculous.
What amazes me is that it takes firms so long to file a suit. Why now?
iTunes has been around for quite some time…
MW Word “instead” as in I wish Steve Jobs owned Microsoft instead of Bill Gates
First patent seems fairly old – over 4 years. Second one is merely 16 months. How could the iPod or iTunes breach a patent that was not granted before they were created?
In general, the patent office is granting patents to too many generalities these days. It seems that one can apply for a patent on an idea that may be useful in the future, but that the patent holder really hasn’t designed yet. Then, they just sit back and let technology do its thing and eventually someone will have invented something close enough for the patent holder to sue on.
Matt, I own all rights to the letter M…you will hear from my attorneys shortly.
Jimbo I was gonna say EXACTLY what you have just written, I’ll sue you if you don’t delete your post.
The functionality described in that patent is of creating a playlist of audio or audio/video files that can be stores and played on demand. iTunes (and every other media player out there, for that matter) has been able to do this well before June 2001. Nice try, guys.
Hey, is there a patant for wipping your ANUS!
This is nothing more than a bunch of jelous organizations thinking that they are owed a piece of the pie.
Idiots they are!
UGH! WE ARE NOT MAKING ANY PROGRESS IN CLEANING UP THIS NATION IF UTTER MORONS FILE STUPID FSKING LAWSUITS ARGHHHHH! GOD DAMNIT THEYRE STUPID!
STUPID
STUPID
STUPID!!!
THEY SHOULD JUST THROW THIS CRAP OUT- BUT NOOOO IT’LL STAY IN COURT FOR A MONTH AT LEAST AND BE IN THE NEWS EVERYWHERE!!! WHEN WILL THIS NIGHTMARE END?
(I hate politics and the court system as you can plainly see. Oh, and jealous losers and stupid people, too)
Apple should sue them back regarding Premier International’s “Applaud” software (check their site).
I see a lot of similarities between the words APPLE and APPLAUD.
I have US Patent #3 for stirring. If you cook or put cream and/or sugar in your coffee, remember to pay me royalties. My PayPal account is ready and waiting. Some asshole beat me to US Patent #1 for breathing and US Patent #2 for walking. Man, I could have been rich if I just hadn’t stopped to pee (US Patent #4).
I own all the rights to the letters RA when used together. You will all be hearing from my attorny shortly. Ha!
Until the people in this country demand legal reform that includes a ‘loser pays’ provision, we will continue to see frivilous lawsuits daily.
Of course the legal profession has many high powered lobbyists in place to defeat any such legislation.
When can we just drop all software patents? They all suck, whether they are from Ebay, Microsoft, IBM, or Apple.
As opposed to the rest of the world (which has patent precedence based upon first to file) the U.S. has patent precendence based upon first to invent. All Apple has to do is file documents with the court that support the position and definitively show Apple was developing its file system for the iPod and iTunes before Premier did.
iTunes was in the works long before Premier filed their patents. Apple should have formal, official documentation which supports this. If nothing else, Apple’s software version control system should show that coders were developing this software long before iTunes first shipped and then Apple could back track from there to the meeting where these file systems were first discussed and thus “invented”.
This is just one more stupid lawsuit.
If you want to see a patent application see http://www.theonion.com/content/node/29130. Enjoy.
And why are they suing just Apple. Surely Windows Media Player would fall under this same ridiculous patent?
effwerd — I just spit up all over my desk. That was fricking funny!
These kind of software patents should have never been granted in the first place. Everybody’s favorite monopoly, Microsoft, even filed for a patent on the double click of a mouse. Has anybody at the USPTO (United States Patent & Trademark Office) ever heard of prior art?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prior_art
iTunes has been out for how long now? Suddenly let’s sue them for Patent crap. Another company looking for easy money through lawsuits. What a bunch of garbage.
here is problem. everybody seems to solve their problems by sue. but that’s not real issue. the point is that law system like this makes easy to sue over somebody. every excuse makes sense. that’s too bad. that’s why I hate U.S. law system.
This is how it all begins. A law suit. Then a settlement. Then a law. Then nazi police pounding on the door of every free itunes user everywhere. Dark times indeed.
Andrew Hamilton
Videographers in Las Vegas
http://www.hiproductions.com
Given that Sound Jam existed before then and was bought by Apple & developed in iTunes and moved on from there, I see little future here.
Doesn’t the US Justice system or more exactly the Courts decide to fine, heavily, people (including individuals and companies large and small) for wasting court time with such stupidity? Or better still throw idiotic cases out of the court and so are then closed period.
I mean it is well known in the more sane countries of the world that US society sue for the sake of suing and the only real winners are the Lawyer/Legal companies.
Is Bush still hearing the voice of God in his head? Makes you wonder why he hasn’t been taken away for treatment, after all if you or I said this in public or made it known to our family doctor it is that doctor that would be seeking a way to get treatment and not applaud you for it!
Come on people! You still don’t get it do you? This has NOTHING to do with defending a patent, but everything to do with creating EXPOSURE for their company and product. With all the attention on Apple these days, it is guaranteed that such a court filing would do just this—focus media attention on the little unknown company on the chance that they might be the one to bring down the mighty Apple/iPod/iTunes empire.
Remember: there is no such thing as bad publicity, particularly when you weren’t getting any in the first place!