Microsoft co-founder company sued Apple, Facebook and others over search

1st September, 2010 by adina
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Interval Licensing sued several top companies for alleged infringement of four patents related to what they call fundamental technology that is used for search and online commerce. Interval claims that firms like Apple, AOL, Facebook, Google, eBay, Netflix, OfficeMax, Staples, YouTube, Yahoo and Office Depot have violated patents regarding a form of browsing and means of drawing attention through design as well as a notification system.

Not yet posted online, the court case was filed in Washington’s Western District. There were no details mentioned, such as damages, but the main goal for Interval is obtaining a ban on the use of its technology if not reaching an out of court settlement.

Exerting its history as an influence in this case is what Interval hopes. The company is known as a spin-off of Interval Research, a firm created in 1992 by Paul Allen, a Microsoft co-founder, to help spurring on the web. The firm reportedly funded early research of Sergey Brin and Larry Page, co-founders of Google. Interval Licensing fits perfectly the definition of what is called a patent troll, for the simple reason that it does not have any products of its own currently, but relies instead on royalty deals for business and lawsuits.

Neither the involved companies nor Paul Allen have commented in any way on the lawsuit. Most of these companies are known to usually avoid statements related to ongoing cases.


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