p2pnet - rss feed: iTunes ‘violates copyright’
p2pnet.net News:- Apple’s iTunes software infringes a patent owned by Contois Music Technology, the company claims.
Contois now wants Apple to stop distributing iTunes jukebox software and is demanding damages for patent violation, says AppleInsider.
“The Essex Junction, Vt.-based Contois is seeking a preliminary and permanent injunction enjoining Apple from further distributing its iTunes software in its current form,” says the post, going on:
“The company also asked the Court for an unspecified amount of monetary damages resulting from Apple’s ‘copying and willful infringement’ of its design patent as well as reimbursement of legal fees associated with the lawsuit.”
David Contois “conceived of and developed a computer interface for playing music on an internal or external computer-responsive music device, which he then exhibited at the 1995 COMDEX trade show and the 1996 NAMM music industry trade show,” says AppleInsider, quoting court documents.
Apple later “copied” the invention and used the design ideas in the interface for its iTunes software, it says.
Contois is seeking a trial by jury, adds the story.
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See:-
AppleInsider - Apple sued over iTunes software interface, June 20, 2005
June 21st, 2005 at 4:27 pm
This law suit has no weight under copyright law, as generalized ideas cannot be copyrighted.
Patent law is another story, but this is a classic example of what the EFF terms a “stupid patent”.
I think i’ll patent “an aid to the transportation of unweildy objects involving circular disks” and sue everyone who uses the wheel.
June 21st, 2005 at 5:53 pm
Mp3 was not around yet so the patent talks about MIDI. There are many references cited so this idea was not truly unique, it’s is mish-mash of other peoples ideas. Anyhow, you can see the patent here, (# 5,864,868) and decide for yourself
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=/netahtml/srchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=5,864,868.WKU.&OS=PN/5,864,868&RS=PN/5,864,868
June 21st, 2005 at 8:14 pm
I hope Contois Music Technology sues the fuck out of Apple…
June 22nd, 2005 at 12:07 am
See, the sh–t is getting thick inside the digital music realm of who wants their neck slit quick! Whenever you decide to violate a potential copyright owner, you must be wearing your bullet-proven vest to stop the legal onslaught from sliding to safe deep inside your money loving
chest. This guy must be insane if he thinks he’s going to stop the Phantom Poet Graffito inside the iTunes distribution game. Leave him his
legs–so he can walk to the table with his truth or fable. Don’t try to fight the real or the lie; call in the congruity and cut him a nice piece of
literati pie!
June 22nd, 2005 at 8:32 am
and i’ll sue MTV because i thought up music video channels in the mid 70’s, years before MTV was around.
and i also thought up the concept of cable radio, so i’ll be suing those guys, too.