ZapMedia sues Apple
p2pnet news | DRM:- A small US company is suing Apple, "claiming to have conceived the underlying principles of the iPod + iTunes franchise a full two years before the first iPod went on sale," says AppleInsider.
At the bottom of the claim?
DRM, it would seem.
The patent infringement suit comes, "18 months after the little-known company, acting on behalf of the now defunct ZapMedia Inc., unsuccessfully began shopping for a buyer of its tiny portfolio with the help of Atlanta-based intellectual property firm Lava Group Inc," says the story, going on:
"That portfolio had long consisted of just a single patent (No. 7,020,704) titled ‘System and method for distributing media assets to user devices via a portal synchronized by said user devices’.
However, "on Tuesday the United States Patent and Trademark Office awarded ZapMedia with the rights to a second, similarly titled patent (No. 7,343,414) having an increased focus on digital rights management (DRM)."
ZapMedia wants royalties on Apple’s sales of iPods and iTunes music, says Associated Press, adding:
"The patents in question cover a way of sending music and other digital content from servers to multiple media players, a broad description that could also apply to a wide swath of other companies selling digital media and the devices to play it."
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Also See:
AppleInsider – Apple sued over foundation to iPod + iTunes franchise, March 13, 2008
Associated Press -Apple Sued Over ITunes Technology, March 13, 2008
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