Software developer Intertrust Technologies filed a patent infringement suit against Apple over 15 patents related to security.
The lawsuit covers almost all of Apple's products and services, including the iPhone, iPad, Mac computers, Apple TV, iTunes, iCloud, and the Apple App Store. The company says it has a successful record of licensing its technology, with licensees including Adobe, Nokia, Samsung, HTC and LG Electronics.
This isn't the first time that Intertrust has challenged a large technology company over its digital rights management technology. In 2004, it won a $440 million legal settlement from Microsoft after a three-year legal battle. Intertrust, founded in 1990, also has some important backers. After a run as a public company, Intertrust became a private-joint venture in 2003 owned by Sony, Phillips and Stephens Inc. Sony and Phillips each have a 49.5 percent stake, with Stephens owning the remaining 1 percent.
“Apple makes many great products that use Intertrust’s inventions,” Talal Shamoon, Intertrust’s CEO, said in a statement today. “Our patents are foundational to modern Internet security and trusted computing, and result from years of internal research and development. We are proud of our record of peaceful and constructive licensing with industry leaders. We find it regrettable that we are forced to seek court assistance to resolve this matter.”
Apple didn't immediately return a request for comment.
The lawsuit can be found here. Or you can just read it below. One interesting note: the law firm representing Intertrust, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, is the same firm representing Samsung in its patent design suit against Apple.
