Lawsuit claims Apple Maps infringes on navigation patents
Apple has been hit with a lawsuit alleging that its Apple Maps platform infringes on a pair of navigation-related patents.
Apple Maps. Credit: Apple
The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on Tuesday, names New Jersey-based non-practicing entity Omnitek as its plaintiff and takes aim at Apple's navigation platforms.
Omnitek holds a portfolio of patents, and claims that Apple Maps infringes on technologies described in two of them: U.S. Patent Nos. 8,645,057 and 8,224,569. Both are focused on software-based driving directions, and detail methods of providing driving directions without text entry.
For example, instead of inputting text to denote start and end points of a navigation route, the patented technology allows for users to select those locations using taps, drags and other gestures. User preferences, like avoiding toll roads, is also described in the IP.
The plaintiff alleges that Apple directly and knowingly infringes on its intellectual property, and that its actions "aid and abet others to infringe" by way of advertising or providing instruction manuals to Apple Maps users.
The lawsuit demands a jury trial, and seeks damages and attorneys' fees.
Apple Maps. Credit: Apple
The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on Tuesday, names New Jersey-based non-practicing entity Omnitek as its plaintiff and takes aim at Apple's navigation platforms.
Omnitek holds a portfolio of patents, and claims that Apple Maps infringes on technologies described in two of them: U.S. Patent Nos. 8,645,057 and 8,224,569. Both are focused on software-based driving directions, and detail methods of providing driving directions without text entry.
For example, instead of inputting text to denote start and end points of a navigation route, the patented technology allows for users to select those locations using taps, drags and other gestures. User preferences, like avoiding toll roads, is also described in the IP.
The plaintiff alleges that Apple directly and knowingly infringes on its intellectual property, and that its actions "aid and abet others to infringe" by way of advertising or providing instruction manuals to Apple Maps users.
The lawsuit demands a jury trial, and seeks damages and attorneys' fees.
Omnitek v. Apple by Mikey Campbell on Scribd
Comments
Apple should definitely move to nullify such ridiculous patent, and find the patent prosecutor who approved it to beat an apology out of them.
But this article lacks detail that would give better context for this lawsuit. Has Google been sued as well, or approached for a licensing deal? What about TomTom or other GPS manufacturers?
They sued Google too, right?
But to at least partially answer your question Apple is not the first they've sued over navigation patents. Earlier last year they sued GM, Ford, Toyota, and Mazda among others (Western District of Texas of course).
https://insight.rpxcorp.com/news/62387
If people actually wanted to get to their destination, they use Google Maps or Waze. Apple Maps is still far behind the others.