Toronto - Apple is once again facing another lawsuit. This time, an inventor and successful real estate developer, Elliot Gottfurcht, is suing Apple for patent infringing on the iPhone's web browser, Safari.
The lawsuit was filed by EMG Technology which carries patents for Elliot Gottfurcht, Grant Gottfurcht and Mario Longstreet. EMG Technology is based in Los Angeles with Elliot Gottfurcht being the company's only employee. According to EMG Technology, the iPhone infringes on their patent, 7, 441, 196. Elliot Gottfurcht is represented by the law firm, Jeffer, Mangels, Butler & Marmaro. EMG Technology is seeking unspecified damages against Apple for the patent infringement.
Stanley Gibson, a partner at the JMBM law firm, is handling the case. He was the lead trial attorney in another patent-infringement suit filed against Medtronic Inc. The suit ended with a $570 million settlement for his clients. Stanley represented Dr. Gary Michelson who was given a $1.35 billion payment from Medtronic.
The suit was filed on Monday in the 21st Century docket of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas in the Tyler Division. The Tyler Division has a reputation for being hard on the companies defending a lawsuit.
Although the filing of the patent started on the 13th of March 2006, it was just recently approved in October of this year. According to the patent abstract the patent is for, "A method and apparatus of simplified navigation. A web page is provided having a link to a sister site. The sister site facilitates simplified navigation. Pages from the sister site are served responsive to actuation of the sister site link. In one embodiment, the sister site includes matrix pages to permit matrix navigation." In other words, the patent covers Safari's web navigation, as well as the conversion of HTML to XML for the iPhone's use.
Almost every mobile company is using Gottfurcht's patented technology. Such companies include, HTC, creator of the G1 Google phone and Research in Motion, creator of the BlackBerry. So why is Apple the only company being sued?
EMG Technology stated that so far, it has not chosen to go after any of the other mobile companies. "We haven't looked at anything other than the iPhone," Stanley Gibson told the Reuters. "That was the device that we looked at. Obviously it's very popular."
Apple has not commented on the latest lawsuit. Apple's spokeswoman, Susan Lundgren stated that the company does not discuss pending litigation.
