The U.S. International Trade Commission has confirmed that it is investigating Apple for allegedly infringing on patents on various devices, including Macs, iPhones, iPads, iPods, and Apple TVs.
The probe was launched following a complaint from Aqua Connect Inc. and subsidiary Strategic Technology Partners of Orange, California.
The companies have developed Apple solutions since 2007, when they debuted their remote desktop technology. However, in 2011 Apple launched its rival “Screen Sharing” feature with Mac OS X 10.7 “Lion.” Since then it has expanded its screen sharing capabilities with features like iOS’ “Airplay Mirroring.”
In October this year, Aqua Connect and Strategic Technology Partners jointly sued Apple for infringing on two of its patents — “Updating a user session in a Mach-derived computer system environment” and “System, method and computer program product for updating a user session in a Mach-derived system environment.”
It’s not clear the scope of the U.S. International Trade Commission’s investigation, but it seems to be broader than just the possible Mac OS infringements mentioned in the October lawsuit.
Due to the amount of money that it makes, and the scope of its technologies, Apple is one of (if not the) most sued companies when it comes to alleged patent infringements.
Currently, it is locked in a patent-related battle with Qualcomm. This summer, it was ordered to pay $506 million in damages after infringing a patent owned by the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Source: Reuters
Luke Dormehl is a U.K.-based journalist and author, with a background working in documentary film for Channel 4 and the BBC. He is the author of The Apple Revolution and The Formula: How Algorithms Solve All Our Problems … and Create More, both published by Penguin/Random House. His tech writing has also appeared in Wired, Fast Company, Techmeme and other publications.
