Lawsuit accuses Apple, Dell, HTC of infringing MP3-related patent
A lawsuit filed this week accuses a number of major electronics companies, including Apple, of violating a patent related to playback of MP3 files.
Hybrid Audio is the owner of U.S. Patent No. RE40,281, entitled "Signal Processing Utilizing a Tree-Structured Array." Reissued in 2008, it describes "signal processing" that is accomplished by "splitting a signal into subbands using a plurality of filter banks connected to form a tree-structured array."
The application references "audio signals," but makes no mention of MP3 files or the MPEG-1 Layer III standard. But the lawsuit targets Apple, HTC and Dell for creating devices that allow playback of MP3 files.
Specifically named in the complaint are a number of Apple products, including the iPod nano, iPhone 4, iPad, MacBook Pro, and iTunes software. The suit targets products "that contain or use hardware and/or software for processing audio information in accordance with the MPEG-1 Layer III (MP3) standard."
Other products named include the HTC Evo 4G smartphone, and a number of computers from Dell including Inspiron, Studio, Alienware, Adamo and XPS.
Little about Hybrid Audio LLC can be found online, but the patent was first filed in 1997 by a Massachusetts company called "Aware, Inc." Hybrid Audio seeks damages from the companies it is suing, and asserts that they are infringing, contributing to infringement, and inducing infringement of the '281 patent.
Hybrid Audio is the owner of U.S. Patent No. RE40,281, entitled "Signal Processing Utilizing a Tree-Structured Array." Reissued in 2008, it describes "signal processing" that is accomplished by "splitting a signal into subbands using a plurality of filter banks connected to form a tree-structured array."
The application references "audio signals," but makes no mention of MP3 files or the MPEG-1 Layer III standard. But the lawsuit targets Apple, HTC and Dell for creating devices that allow playback of MP3 files.
Specifically named in the complaint are a number of Apple products, including the iPod nano, iPhone 4, iPad, MacBook Pro, and iTunes software. The suit targets products "that contain or use hardware and/or software for processing audio information in accordance with the MPEG-1 Layer III (MP3) standard."
Other products named include the HTC Evo 4G smartphone, and a number of computers from Dell including Inspiron, Studio, Alienware, Adamo and XPS.
Little about Hybrid Audio LLC can be found online, but the patent was first filed in 1997 by a Massachusetts company called "Aware, Inc." Hybrid Audio seeks damages from the companies it is suing, and asserts that they are infringing, contributing to infringement, and inducing infringement of the '281 patent.
Comments
why are these suits coming out now? Is there some advantage to announcing them while the lawyers and judges are likely out of the office?
Clearly, even other more "established" and "mainstream" media codecs, and their existing well-known patent license pools, are also prone to such a lack of indemnity protections.
Haven't MP3 files been played on computers since the mid 90s? Their patent goes back to 97 and MP3 is 95. Good luck to them!
Or for using aluminum. Maybe even the english language?
I wonder just much the Eastern District of Texas makes on meaningless frivolous lawsuits. Court costs are court costs to a court. No matter who pays them. They must have quite the profitable racket going. All in the name of justice of course.
This is just ridiculous.
A lawsuit filed this week accuses a number of major electronics companies, including Apple, of violating a patent related to playback of MP3 files.
Hybrid Audio is the owner of U.S. Patent No. RE40,281, entitled "Signal Processing Utilizing a Tree-Structured Array." Reissued in 2008, it describes "signal processing" that is accomplished by "splitting a signal into subbands using a plurality of filter banks connected to form a tree-structured array."
The application references "audio signals," but makes no mention of MP3 files or the MPEG-1 Layer III standard. But the lawsuit targets Apple, HTC and Dell for creating devices that allow playback of MP3 files.
Little about Hybrid Audio LLC can be found online, but the patent was first filed in 1997 by a Massachusetts company called "Aware, Inc." Hybrid Audio seeks damages from the companies it is suing, and asserts that they are infringing, contributing to infringement, and inducing infringement of the '281 patent.
Wow, the original patent was all about "inventing" sending data over a communication link. So original.
Now it is amended to include trying to claim they invented or improved on audio decoding. Wow, suing people for a standard finalized in 1993 then suing for it in 2010.
So, no suing the makers of the actual DSP chips that actually do the infringing, no suing whoever Alcatel spun off with all the mp3 patents, no suing Fraunhofer, not suing Google for Android or Microsoft for their respective software players on their hardware, but let's sue Dell and HTC and Apple.
Just try understanding the stupid 121 claims in it. I bet the patent examiner just said, "Oh fuck it, I'll just grant it."