There’s a chance that the iPhone, iPod touch and MacBook could all be pulled from the shelves in the coming days – all because Apple is being sued by a Taiwanese firm that says it actually invented multitouch!
Okay, so the odds of Apple’s products being banned from sale are incredibly slim, but Elan Microelectronics has commenced legal action after claiming that the Cupertino company has infringed upon two of its touchscreen patents, both related to the multitouch functionality seen on the iPhone, iPod touch and MacBook.
Elan has already won an injunction against rival firm Synaptics over one of the two patents concerned, although the two companies latest reached a cross-licensing agreement. It could be that the new action is engineered so as to reach a similar agreement with Apple; Elan could also be seeking royalty payments, or to raise its profile by seeking cooperation with Apple in the future.
We’ll keep you posted on any developments.
Apple and Elan (via New York Times)
Tags: Apple, Elan Microelectronics, multitouch, patent infringement