Another day, another lawsuit involving our favorite Cupertino company. This time Apple is the defendant, with Software Restore Solutions filing a complaint that claims Apple copied its technology with the Disk Utility tool built into the Mac OS X operating system.
According to the company’s complaint, the Disk Utility feature that was first introduced to the Mac in 2001 copies a feature in a workgroup network manager patent from 1998. According to Electronista, Apple is aware that its automated repair tool infringes the patent, but it continues to show “deliberate indifference” toward to consequences.
Although Apple may be aware that it is infringing a Software Restore Solutions patent, it’s unclear whether the plaintiff has actually contacted the company about its alleged violations. The lawsuit was filed with a Northern District of Illinois court, based near the plaintiff’s headquarters in Skokie.
By choosing to file the complain with its local court, rather than choosing one likely to rule in its favor, SRS doesn’t fit the traditional definition of a patent troll. But according to Electronista, the company’s history online is littered with lawsuits — including a previous case that also targeted Apple, as well as game developers Blizzard, Sega and THQ. SRS does not have a website, and is a limited liability company believed to exist solely to collect royalties from other companies, or suing for patent infringement.
Here’s the full complaint:
