Trade Commission Probes Apple
The United States International Trade Commission has launched a probe into whether Apple Computer’s iPod portable music player infringes on a patent owned by Creative Technology.
Creative’s announcement of the inquiry is another mortar round fired over Apple’s high fortress, but showcases that this battle is going to be nasty. Creative alleges that its patent covers the user interface in its Nomad and Zen digital audio players and that Apple’s iPods infringe on that information display. Creative has requested that the ITC issue a permanent exclusion order and permanent cease and desist order against Apple. No such order has been granted as yet.
Creative had filed a complaint with the ITC against Apple last month. Last week, Apple filed a second patent infringement lawsuit in the United States against Creative. The filing came after Singapore-based Creative, the world’s No. 2 MP3 player maker, sued Apple in U.S. District Court.
