Apple licenses SimpleAir patents, avoids infringement suit
updated 03:57 pm EDT, Thu May 24, 2012
Terms of deal remain unclear
Apple has reportedly established a licensing agreement with patent holder SimpleAir, putting an end to the patent infringement battle that began late in 2009. SimpleAir had filed its original lawsuit in the federal district court for the Eastern District of Texas, a venue frequented by plaintiffs in intellectual-property lawsuits, however the settlement was said to have been reached shortly before the formal proceedings commenced.
Little information is available for SimpleAir, suggesting the company is one of many patent holders that relies on litigation revenue and licensing agreements rather than product sales. The company bills itself as an "inventor-owned technology licensing company with interests and intellectual property in the wireless content delivery, mobile application, and push notification market spaces."
Apple is the only company named in the settlement announcement, however the same case lists The Weather Channel, RIM, Facebook, ESPN, and Disney as defendants, among other companies. A separate lawsuit filed in September of last year targets Google, HTC, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, and several other tech companies.
It is unclear if any of the other defendants in the 2009 case have established licensing agreements. The terms of the Apple agreement also remain unclear, as the settlement remains confidential.
