Apple agrees to license patented tech in Apple Maps infringement case

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
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Apple has agreed to a settlement and licensing deal in a patent infringement case concerning the use of navigation technology in Apple Maps.

Credit: Apple
Credit: Apple


The complaint, originally lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas in April 2019, accused Apple Maps of infringing on intellectual property owned by a patent holding company called LBS Innovations.

LBS Innovations claimed that Apple Maps, and the devices that include the app, infringed on U.S. Patent No. 6,091,956 for a "Situation information system," which was first filed for in 1997. The patent details a "wireless system for providing services and time-critical information about places and events to mobile computers and their users proximate to their current locations," and specifically mentions travel and transit times, traffic conditions, nearby attractions and current location of users.

It appears that Apple and LBS Innovations arrived at a settlement agreement and licensing deal on July 6, according to court documents. Since that date, both entities filed motions to dismiss the complaint and related appeals. On Monday, the originating court granted the motion and dismissed the case with prejudice.

In the complaint, LBS Innovations points out that Apple has been aware of the existence of the patent "since at least 2009." Apple reportedly made specific arguments relating to the '956 patent in an attempt to overcome a rejection of a navigation system patent it had sought in Europe.

Claiming that it had been "irreparably harmed" by Apple's alleged infringing activities, the plaintiff made a prayer for relief that included damages and post-judgment royalties.

As noted by digital rights group The Electronic Frontier Foundation, LBS Innovations is a patent licensing company owned by two New York patent lawyers. Since 2011, it has sued more than 60 companies in the Eastern District of Texas. The most relevant claim in the patent, per the EFF, is a reference to a method for showing "transmittable mappable hypertext items."

The nonprofit claims that, although the patent holders claim to have invented internet mapping, digital and electronic maps were already well-known by 1997. Mapquest, which also featured "timely situation information," launched in 1996.

The exact terms of the settlement and licensing deal between Apple and LBS Innovations are not currently known.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 6
    harrykatsarosharrykatsaros Posts: 76unconfirmed, member
    How could it possibly be only Apple Maps that infringes on this patent? Wouldn't this apply to basically every mapping solution in the world?
    jony0StrangeDayschaickawatto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 6
    chasmchasm Posts: 3,323member
    Don't worry, now they probably have the money to go after others.

    It's always a pity when Apple has to just pay off patent trolls, particularly ones with existing prior art and very likely an invalid patent, but I imagine they struck a deal that was cheap enough for them not to bother. We'll see how Google and TomTom and other mapping companies react when it is there turn to be sucked on by these vampires.
    jony0BeatsStrangeDayschaickawatto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 6
    chaickachaicka Posts: 257member
    1997? Hmmm...Is there no prior art before 1997 such as Garmin navigation devices which also provides traffic conditions on map?
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 6
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,271member
    chasm said:
    Don't worry, now they probably have the money to go after others.

    It's always a pity when Apple has to just pay off patent trolls, particularly ones with existing prior art and very likely an invalid patent, but I imagine they struck a deal that was cheap enough for them not to bother. We'll see how Google and TomTom and other mapping companies react when it is there turn to be sucked on by these vampires.
    A lot of companies were already sued before Apple, including Google-owned Waze, Microsoft, Bank of America, Hyatt, Safeway, Visa, and several dozen others who use "find us" maps.  In the case of some of them at least, including Waze, they appear to have taken a license.

    I personally would expect they'd leave Google alone since they've had more success than most others in challenging patents, LBS certainly would not want that little cash cow found dead in the field, and Waze seems to already be licensed anyway. 
    edited July 2020
  • Reply 5 of 6
    MplsPMplsP Posts: 3,947member
    chaicka said:
    1997? Hmmm...Is there no prior art before 1997 such as Garmin navigation devices which also provides traffic conditions on map?
    Traffic conditions have been displayed on maps since the 80's - I can't see how that idea is patentable
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 6
    larryjwlarryjw Posts: 1,031member
    MplsP said:
    chaicka said:
    1997? Hmmm...Is there no prior art before 1997 such as Garmin navigation devices which also provides traffic conditions on map?
    Traffic conditions have been displayed on maps since the 80's - I can't see how that idea is patentable
    An idea can’t be patented. It must be a nonobvious “process“ to the experts and described in such detail the experts could implement. 

    So, one would need to assume, the law being followed, that this particular patent solved this problem differently than others had in the past. 

    Now, an interesting part is the new invention doesn’t have to be better than prior art, just different. 

    To be held to have violated the patent, Apple must have used the same process in their system as covered in the patent. Apple engineers could have reinvented this process but found liable because it was already patented. 
    watto_cobra
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