Get Better Gear!

Premier Sponsors

Other World Computing

TechRestore

Top 5 Free Apps

Release Date: August 05, 2009
Genre: Games
Release Date: May 22, 2009
Genre: Games
Release Date: August 29, 2009
Genre: Games
Release Date: March 27, 2009
Release Date: August 07, 2009

iTunes New Music Releases

Release Date: September 29, 2009
Genre: Rock
Release Date: September 20, 2009
Release Date: September 15, 2009
Release Date: August 25, 2009
Genre: Rock
Release Date: August 25, 2009

Top 5 Paid Apps

Release Date: April 22, 2009
StickWars $0.99
Release Date: March 31, 2009
Genre: Games
Bloons $0.99
Release Date: April 05, 2009
Genre: Games

Discover New Music

  • Mezzanine

    • 6 out of 10
    • Massive Attack
    • "Black Milk" knocks me off my feet in this collection of moody and eclectic songs. Massive Attack uses samples and keyboards in a very unique way, but not all the songs pack the same punch.

  • 8:30

    • 10 out of 10
    • Weather Report
    • This is Weather Reports quintessential line-up captured live. Jaco Pastorious and Peter Erskine join Wayne Shorter and, of course, Joe Zawinul to create this masterpiece.
  • With Teeth

    • 4 out of 10
    • Nine Inch Nails
    • In the sprawling post-A&R rock and roll world, there are two camps: the Beatles and the Stones. The Beatles are the artists that like to explore, evolve, and change styles. The Stones are the artis

  • Physical Graffiti

    • 10 out of 10
    • Led Zeppelin
    • This album bears every flavor of genius from the five records that came before. It is, I believe, the band's finest. With Physical Graffiti, Zep came raging back to their musical home territory -- har
  • Trouble

    • 8 out of 10
    • Ray LaMontagne
    • At first, Ray LaMontagne might strike you as just another breathy-voiced knockoff of folk/rock guitarists like John Mayer and Jack Johnson. But he's actually got a better voice than either, he tell

Reader Specials

Visit Deals On The Web for the best deals on all consumer electronics, iPods, and more!

News

Apple Hit with MP3 Patent Suit

Apple, Samsung, and Sandisk are all targets of an MP3 patent infringement lawsuit, but this one isn't from Alcatel-Lucent. Instead, Texas MP3 Technologies is claiming the companies are infringing on an MP3-related patent it purchased from Sigma Tel in 2006, according to InfoWorld.

The patent in question describes "an MPEG portable sound reproducing system and a method for reproducing sound data compressed using the MPEG method."

Since the patent seems to describe devices like Apple's iPod as well as other portable MP3 players, it's unclear why other portable music player makers - like Microsoft and Creative - are not named in the suit. Presumably, other companies either found a way to work around the alleged patent infringement, or have paid licensing fees to Texas MP3 Technologies.

MP3 patent lawsuits seem to be making the rounds lately. Last week, a San Diego court ruled that Microsoft must pay Alcatel-Lucent US$1.52 billion for MP3-related patent infringements. In that case, Microsoft's lawyers claimed the company had legitimately licensed the MP3 technologies it used in Windows from the German company Fraunhofer - the company that co-developed the technology with Lucent (formerly Bell Labs).

Texas MP3 Technologies filed its suit in Marshall, Texas, which is a popular location for patent infringement cases thanks to its reputation for juries that are more likely to rule in favor of the plaintiff. Of course, Texas MP3 Technologies is asking for a jury trial.

Post Your Comments

  Remember Me  Forgot your password?

Not a member? Register now. You can post comments without logging in, but they'll show up as a "guest" post.

Commenting is not available in this section entry.