Ottawa-based WiLAN Inc.said on April 8 that it has filed suit against Acer, Apple, Lenovo, LG Electronics, Sony, Toshiba and 14 other top technology firms, accusing them of patent infringement.
WiLAN,, which describes itself as a technology innovation and licensing company, filed the suit on April 7 against the 20 U.S. and Asian companies in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.
WiLAN accuses them of violating a patent its holds on Bluetooth technology, a wireless communications system that allows for hands-free calling among other uses.
The firms named in the lawsuit are Acer, Apple, Atheros, Belkin, Broadcom, D-Link, Dell, Gateway, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Lenovo, LG Electronics, Marvell Semiconductor, Motorola, Personal Communications Devices, Sony, Texas Instruments, Toshiba and UTStarcom.
They were accused of making personal computers, mobile phones or other devices that allegedly infringe on a Bluetooth patent held by WiLAN since 1996.
WiLAN, which claims a portfolio of 800 patents and has filed a number of infringement lawsuits in the past against leading technology firms, is asking for unspecified damages.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2010
