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Patent lawsuit names online media heavyweights

Last Updated: Wednesday, January 3, 2007 | 10:40 AM ET

CBC News

Apple Computer, Google and Napster are all named in a patent infringement lawsuit filed by Intertainer, a now-defunct online video and audio distribution service.

The suit, filed Friday in Federal Court in Marshall, Texas, alleges the three companies violated Intertainer's patent for an online digital media distribution system.

Intertainer is seeking unspecified damages from Apple, the maker of the popular iPod music player; Google, the most-used internet search engine; and Napster, the online music download service, claiming they are using the patented technology without permission.

Founded in 1996 by three Hollywood entertainment executives, Intertainer developed technology for distributing movies through cable and phone lines to make them available in the internet and cable television markets. It had corporate investors including Microsoft and Intel.

But the company shut down operations in 2002 and filed an antitrust lawsuit against companies backing the rival Movielink. The antitrust investigation was dropped in 2004.

The patent for technology to manage and distribute digital media was issued in August 2005.

Intertainer continues to run as a corporate entity, though original backers Microsoft and Intel are not part of the lawsuit and are no longer represented on the company's board of directors.

With files from the Associated Press

This story is now closed to commenting.

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