Apple, SanDisk, Samsung sued over MP3 patent

After Microsoft was ordered to pay no less than $1.5 billion in an MP3 patent infringement case last week, the question wasn't if, but when Alcatel-Lucent would go after Apple.

The answer: not just yet. But in the meantime, Apple's lawyers, and those of Samsung Electronics and SanDisk, can work on their form in Marshall, Texas. Little-known Texas MP3 Technologies is suing three of the four makers of MP3 players with market share to speak of (Sony is missing in action) in the town that's quickly becoming known for its plaintiff-friendly juries in patent cases.


Read more on arstechnica.com

Patent troll claims creation of MP3 player, sues everyone

It's not like Apple, SanDisk, and Samsung haven't waded through their fair share of lawsuits in the past, and this most certainly isn't the first (nor the last, sadly) patent troll story you'll ever hear of, but a presumably off-kilter (and incredibly desperate) individual has filed a suit claiming that he masterminded the MP3 player.

The current company, dubbed Texas MP3 Technologies, filed a currently ungranted patent application the very day before the suits were filed, but tried a little trickery by linking back to two previous patents - one held by SigmaTel and the other by MPMan - in order to force the giants to pay their dues.


Rean more on Engadget

Microsoft told to pay Alcatel $1.5bn in MP3 patent spat

Microsoft is reviewing its legal options after a US court ordered it to pay Alcatel $1.5bn for infringing the French telecoms' company's MP3 technology in Windows.

Alcatel, which announced a partnership with Microsoft on IPTV in February 2005, inherited the San Diego court action through its $11.5bn merger with Lucent.

The original action pitted Lucent against Gateway and Dell over 15 patent claims, but saw Microsoft step in as it might be obliged to re-imburse the PC makers for damages they'd have to pay. The action has spawned related suits, with Alcatel last November prosecuting Microsoft in the Eastern District of Texas over video and voice technology used to decode video signals in Microsoft's Xbox 360.


Read more on TheRegister.co.uk

Canadian music service delivers DRM-Free MP3 downloads

Puretracks, the music download service whose majority owner is Bell Canada, today announced it would begin offering selected music downloads in DRM-free MP3 format.

The company said it would offer approximately 50,000 songs, of its more then one million song catalogue, unencumbered of digital rights management (DRM) technology.

Digital rights management is a generic term for the encryption schemes used by movie studios and artists to thwart music and movie piracy.


Read more on Digital Home