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A small US firm said Wednesday it has filed a lawsuit accusing
Apple's online music store iTunes of using its patented technology
for distributing digitized music and video.
ZapMedia Services Inc. is demanding unspecified
damages and royalties from California-based Apple for supposedly
using its intellectual property in iPod MP3 players and iTunes.
"The complaint alleges that ZapMedia
Services' property is being exploited in a manner which is
unlawful," ZapMedia attorney Steven Hill of law firm Hill,
Kertscher & Wharton said in a written release.
A lawsuit filed in a US district court in Texas
contends ZapMedia began work on a "system and method for
distributing media assets to user devices via a portal synchronized
by said user devices" in the late 1990s.
ZapMedia contends it met with Apple and
"major technology and media companies around the globe"
while crafting an online content delivery platform which it
eventually patented.
Apple launched its iTunes digital content
software in 2001.
ZapMedia said it tried to resolve the alleged
patent violation complaint with Apple before resorting to a lawsuit.
Apple declined to comment on the lawsuit as per its policy not to
discuss pending litigation.
-- AFP
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