Software developer Ameranth says Apple has been aware of the patents allegedly violated.
Software developer Ameranth is suing Apple over charges relating to iOS 6's Passbook app violating several of its patents.
Ameranth, a company that sells services and software to the gaming and hospitality industry, states that Passbook violates a total of four of its U.S. patents: No. 6,384,850, No. 6,871,325, No. 6,982,733 and No. 8,146,077.
The above patents deal with "Information management and synchronous communications system," which includes the likes of the ability to synchronize data among wireless, wired and Web-based systems pertaining to electronic menus, as well as reservations for businesses such as restaurants.
Ameranth refers to Passbook being able to download and store "airline boarding passes, hotel reservations, movie tickets, and event tickets", with the software developer also claiming that Apple is aware of the patents apparently being violated.
"One of the Ameranth patents-in-suit, U.S. Patent No. 6,384,850 -- the first patent issued in this Ameranth patent family -- was cited as a prior art reference in two Apple iPhone patents issued to named inventors Bas Ording and Steven P. Jobs," said the court filing. "Also, three of the patents in this Ameranth patent family have been asserted in several patent enforcement actions against Apple business partners."
The firm added that it is looking for triple the amount of damages it has endured due to Apple's alleged infringement.
iOS 6 introduced the Passbook app which allows iDevice users to synchronize, as well as save electronic copies of boarding passes, tickets, coupons and loyalty cards.
The aforementioned lawsuit doesn't represent the end of Apple's legal woes, though. Earlier on, Samsung, as promised, sued the world's most valuable company (and the world's largest hedge fund) over alleged patent infringements in the iPhone 5. That was preceded by a further blow to Apple in the form of its injunction against the sale of Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 getting overturned.
Apple juice companies should join in the mix...
That would be IBM actually:
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/ibm-patents-the-patent,11868.html
For real ?!? This can't be.
A COMPANY WHO ACTUALLY MADE SOMETHING WITH IT'S PATENTS IS SUING!
The current patenting system is a total mess at the moment. Every year it is becoming harder and harder to innovate and it is not because of lack of skill or imagination. It is because of artificial legal problems people created for themselves. The patenting was originally created to protect intellectual property of people who invent something truly marvelous. But now you can't include even the simplest features or functions without violating someone's rights, all because of the abundance of dull and obvious "daahhhh" patents. Individual inventors that work out of their garage really stand no chance at ever bringing their work to the market. In the end, this results in the public being deprived of newer and better stuff. Who knows what great idea never made it because of the patenting mess?
Solution to this? How about if anyone who uses the patents that don't belong or licensed to them will only be liable for a fixed amount of revenue generated by the sales of the product in question. Let's say we set it to 25%, which would be for all the patents used, 1 patent or 100, it doesn't matter. Then the patent holders either settle it among themselves who gets how much of this 25% or go to court. All of this would be instead of suing the company that sells the product, which again would only give up a set percentage of revenue thus buying itself an immunity from being sued.
Does this sound reasonable?
Silly, up-vote baiting troll, IMO.