“According to a new report, Apple has transferred some of its patents to patent-licensing firm Digitude Innovations, prompting accusations that the company is aiding a so-called ‘patent troll,'” Josh Ong reports for AppleInsider.
“Digitude Innovations filed suit against a slew of tech giants this week, including Research in Motion, HTC, LG, Motorola, Samsung, Sony, Amazon and Nokia. Apple was noticeably absent from the list,” Ong reports. “Further investigation by TechCrunch revealed that two of the patents wielded in the lawsuit had belonged to Apple earlier this year. The report noted that documents had been uncovered confirming a license agreement between Apple and Digitude, though the actual details of the agreement were not available to the public.”
Ong reports, “Though it’s not completely clear whether Apple has entered into a more formal agreement with Digitude beyond a licensing agreement, [report author Jason Kincaid] offered several plausible scenarios for its relationship with the company. According to him, Apple could be using Digitude as a ‘hired gun’ in its patent battles. However, he did point out that Apple not hesitated to sue its competitors outright when it felt its intellectual property was being infringed on. Alternatively, Apple may have traded its patents to Digitude as part of a settlement. Kincaid noted that this scenario ‘seems more likely,’ while noting that it was hard to see Apple in a ‘positive light’ if that was the case.”
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