Apple legal settles GUI patent claims

Apple has settled a patent dispute with IP Innovation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Acacia Technologies Group.

IP Innovation has entered into a settlement and license agreement with Apple covering patents that relate to GUI systems. The settlement resolves patent litigation that was pending in the District Court for the Eastern District of Texas with respect to certain Apple products.

Apple's most recent financial reports offer no detail regarding the substance of the complaint, but it is known that Acacia Research Corporation has filed 39 infringement lawsuits since January 2004.

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Apple has settled a patent dispute with IP Innovation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Acacia Technologies Group.

IP Innovation has entered into a settlement and license agreement with Apple covering patents that relate to GUI systems. The settlement resolves patent litigation that was pending in the District Court for the Eastern District of Texas with respect to certain Apple products.

Apple's most recent financial reports offer no detail regarding the substance of the complaint, but it is known that Acacia Research Corporation has filed 39 infringement lawsuits since January 2004.

It's also known that the company holds patents across a wide variety of industries including audio/video enhancement and synchronization, credit card fraud protection, digital media transmission, digital video production, interactive television and user-activated internet advertising.

Acacia has secured at least 11 licenses since 2005 and has existing licensing deals with Priceline.com, Nokia, RadioShack and IBM.

In 1995, the company acquired patents related to the digital transmission of audio and video media from inventors Paul Yurt and Lee Browne.

The company aggressively pursues firms it sees as infringing on the patents it holds.

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