“Apple Computer, maker of the iPod music player, is suing Creative Technology, raising the stakes in the legal dispute over competing devices,” Bloomberg News reports. “Apple claims Creative Labs, the U.S. division of Creative Technology, infringes four patents in its hand-held digital players. The suit was filed in a Wisconsin District Court on May 15, the same day Creative filed a lawsuit and a trade complaint against Apple.”
“Creative filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission seeking an order to block imports of the iPod, most of which are made in China. A lawsuit the company filed against Apple in District Court in San Francisco is likely to be put on hold while the trade complaint is heard,” Bloomberg reports. “The iPod controls 77 percent of the U.S. market, compared with less than 10 percent for Creative.”
Full article here.
Hoo said they wanted a war?
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I’ll see your patent infringement suit, and raise you four more.
Getting hot in the game, isn’t it? Sure you don’t want to fold, Mr. Hoo?
CRY “HAVOC” and let slip the dogs of war!
Serves em right.
There’s no fool like an old fool.
Or a young fool.
Or a Hoo fool.
This is how patents are used these days, sort of like nuclear weapons. It’s a mutually assured destruction sort of approach where if you use your patent against me, I’ll use my patents against you.
MW: feeling
the irony of it all
…
can I trademark the pause before I do something?
MW:Feeling …
Steve Jobs always disliked Creative.
Creative bought 3DLabs, which made awesome 3D video cards, but wouldn’t but out a Mac version or driver.
So we 3D Mac users hated them too because we were stuck using lame gamers cards for Lightwave and Maya.
I hope Apple tears them a new asshole.
By the way superduper sucks, I can say that because I beleive in free speech and MDN doesn’t. Consider using Tor and deleting your cookies to prevent censorship, right or wrong, we all have the right to judge.
Didn’t see THAT coming. Neither did Creative I bet. GO GET ‘EM STEVE!
“I hope Apple tears them a new asshole.”
Well, that certainly is a creative solution.
Apple/Steve Jobs to Creative: Fsck You!
I wonder which company will end up having to pay money to the other once all four lawsuits are considered…
Did Creative really think they were going to get away with their lawsuit? I bet this one is personal with Mr. Jobs.
1. Sue Creative.
2. Force them to file for bankruptcy.
3. Buy up their assets especially 3Dlabs.
4. Profit.
“Take Creative prisoner and then lead them down the stairs to our secret dungeon,” Steve said condescendingly!
Anyone know what those four patents are? We all know the “hierarchical menu” patent Creative is claiming, but Apple? I can think of two:
(1) The color white (cos white is the new black, although Apple is trying to make black the new black with the MacBook)
(2) The rectangular shape of the player
=)
Seriously, though, anybody know?
patentwhat?
I’m guessing it’s more internal parts and stuff. Perhaps the way it looks, too. Hell even the battery indicator on the latest creative is a bite from Apple.
karma
Man, I sort of feel sorry for them. NOW STEP ON THEIR NECK!
tongue wink
Wisconsin?
/oh yah? yah.
//no, I just think I’m gonna barf
It’s about time things were reversed.
http://getkickedoffaplanewearingthis.blogspot.com/
It’s unfortunate that it had to come to this. Many of you may know this, but
Apple used to integrate some Creative products into thier own, such as the
Apple CD-ROM multimedia Kit and the X86 boards that were available for
the Centris / Quadra 600 series and the PowerMac 6100 series. Those
products had integrated Creative sound chips. Granted, that was a
questionable time for Apple, but proof that the two companies once had a
decent business relatonship. Damn, I think I’m getting old.
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You don’t know the history of trade complaints against Apple, I do.
Thorin….
you are correct sir
also……I am right there with you….getting old
Wrong! Conan, what is best in life?
Conan: To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of the women!
“To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of the women!”
OK, I can accept that!! LOL
Yes! Yes! This is AWESOME! Man, I wish I could’ve seen the look on Sim Wong Hoo’s face when he got the word!
I doubted Creative had the funds to succesfully litigate one of these cases, and now their costs have doubled. Plus, I have a funny feeling that Apple’s patents are just a wee bit more valid than Creative’s dodgy “hierarchical menu” patent.