“The week before last I blogged about a $8 million jury verdict in favor of a non-practicing entity named Personal Audio LLC against Apple for the infringement of some downloadable playlist patents,” Florian Mueller reports for FOSS Patents. “That lawsuit had been filed in June 2009, and the Apple products accused in the original complaint were ‘iPod classic, iPod mini, iPod shuffle, iPod nano, iPod Touch, and iPhone'”
“At trial, the products considered by the jury were ‘the iPod Classic Generations 1 through 6, iPod Mini Generations 1 and 2, and iPod Nano Generations 1 through 5,'” Mueller reports. “Today Personal Audio LLC has just filed a new infringement suit (again in East Texas) accusing ‘the iPod Nano Generation 6, iPod Shuffle Generation 4, iPod Touch Generation 4, iPhone 4, and iPad 2.'”
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Mueller writes, “Obviously the purpose of the second lawsuit is to expand upon the success of the first trial and squeeze even more money out of Apple.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Hear ye, hear ye, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas Rocket Docket and Patent Troll ATM is now in session.
Related article:
Eastern Texas court orders Apple to pay $8 million in patent trial over iPod playlists – July 9, 2011
Apple is my favorite, but I can understand the allure of suing where juries will give you as much as you want for your phoney claims against Apple. But it is wrong and that should be addressed.
Actually the Jury didn’t give them all they wanted, I believe the original suit was for $87 milliion.
… them the $87 Million – for the entire stash of “patents” in their larder. With a non-compete clause for each of the company officers to sign.
May the plaintiff burn in everlasting Hellfire!
Got no truck with the la-di-da
Keep my bread in an old fruit jar
Drive you out in a motor-car
Getting fat on your lucky star
Just making easy money
Love the King Crimson reference. Don’t know if anybody else got it.
I didn’t.
what song?
Easy Money
Larks Tongues in Aspic
I did. But then I’m a sucker for everything you did between Lark’s Tongues In Aspic and Three Of A Perfect Pair.
I also believe that Red should be played loud or very loud.
Well, I argued with the judge,
but that bastard wouldn’t budge.
Amazing how MDN’s take is Apple is a patent troll. What about all the lawsuits Apple has started?
Give us some examples of all the suits apple started.
Guarantee you the majority of then are counter suits from Apple.
Apple is sued way more than they sue any one who try to profit
by stealing their IP.
Dude, everyone knows patent trolls are DEFINED by the facts that they have no actual business other than suing others, AND that they file in the Eastern District of Texas. When those two factors describe Apple, then feel free to call Apple a patent troll.
BINGO!
Dude?
your gettin a dell?
Now,now. We’ll have none of that stuff called logic around here. It’s a fanboy site so you’re talking to kids. Besides, what’s a few million to Apple? They made me a lot of money yesterday and this morning (AAPL calls held through earnings)! I don’t mind if we give a few pennies to some Texans. Right fanboys?
Understandably no self respecting troll like to see another one called the same, right Ryan?
One thought:
Is it possible to sue the judge?
Well, what goes around comes around. If are very profitable and rich you as a rule in US can expect to be sued a lot … because lawyers would like a piece of the pie too.
It’s not an Apple only problem, it’s an US problem. We may not like it but that’s the sad reality.
On the other hand if someone has a protected IP they should get compensated. So I don’t see anything wrong if Apple has to pay. Texas court or not.
Apple is beefing up it’s legal team for a reason.
The leadership of this company deserve to be taken out back and shot – Texas style.
Wow, that’s sounds harsh, but I see your point!
This Lawsuit is utter BS in my opinion. Just a bunch of GREEDY ASSES. Just because Apple has a lot of cash on hand, its time for companies to sue them. Oh and lets not forget it is in the Eastern District part of Texas. I bet the judge is bought and paid for.
Perhaps the tech companies should get together and sue the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, seems like they are operating a shakedown racket down there.
Apple may well be able to have this lawsuit dismissed because he didn’t bring his claims for any other infringing devices at the time the other lawsuit was ongoing. It will depend on when the first lawsuit was filed, but the courts are loathe to have plaintiffs continually coming back and asking for more money. If Personal Audio didn’t want Apple to continue using/infringing on the patents in the future, it should have requested a restraining order/injunction against Apple in the first lawsuit.
Build Apple retail stores in Tyler, Lufkin and Beaumont. Turn the entire jury pool in the Eastern District of Texas into Mac fanatics.
The Honorable Judge Roy Bean presiding.
This is rampant in the state of Texas – a lot of patent shops have set up there because the courts are notoriously lax when it comes to patents. You see a bunch of these like Parallel Networks, etc. all who hold patents with no intent to use them, only to sue for infringement.
It’s really a shame that TX has taken this approach to make money.
@Untitled ,
“who hold patents with no intent to use them” Are you claiming to be clairvoyant? You know what future intent these companies have for the patents that they hold? Perhaps they wish to sell them in the future. If they don’t protect them then they become worthless.
Besides, even if they have no intent to use them they still are the owners. And if Apple, or any other company want to use that IP then they have to pay. That’s what having IP protection is all about.
Absolutely no different from companies using Apple patented IP without paying.