IP Communications

Alleging its patented method for distributing digital media over the Internet is being illegally used by Apple (News - Alert) in its iTunes and iPhones, Atlanta-based ZapMedia Services Inc. has sued Apple. The company claims that it met Apple to discuss the licensing of the patent, but the company refused to do so.

 

ZapMedia Services Inc. has sued Apple in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas and has accused Apple of violating its patents. The company is demanding royalties on Apple's sales of iPods and iTunes music. Considering Apple earned nearly $11 billion last year from the sale of these two products, ZapMedia will make a sizeable profit if the court rules in its favor.

 

The patent covers a portal “media library database server application that manages access [to] a master library of media assets that can be accessed by users via one or more communication networks. A plurality of media player devices communicates with the portal to access media assets for use. Each media player device may comprise a processor that executes a database client application that manages media assets licensed for use by a user.”

 

Robert Frohwein, ZapMedia's general counsel, said in a statement, “When someone takes our vision and our intellectual property without a license after several attempts, we have no option but to protect it through every means available to us.”

 

The patents that are allegedly violated by Apple involve a method of sending music and other digital content from servers to multiple media players. Although Apple does use this method, this is a broad description of the patent and it also applies to a huge number of companies selling digital media and the devices to play it.

 

ZapMedia had applied for the patents in 1999. While one of them was granted in 2006, another one was granted on Tuesday.

 

Raju Shanbhag is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To see more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.