Apple Sued Again By Firm That Just Snatched $529 Million From Them

Just days ago, Apple found itself on the losing end of a lawsuit. The $529 million judgement came to the chagrin of many, but not because Apple had done anything overtly wrong.The ruling was in favor of Smartflash LLC, often described as a patent troll. The lawsuit was in regard to that slippery slope of intellectual property, where Smartflash claims Apple trampled on several patents they hold. With a half-billion dollar ruling under their belt, Smartflash is at it again — with Apple, again.

The new suit was actually filed the same day the verdict was handed down in their first trial. In the same courthouse, too.

They're not necessarily double-dipping, though. Smartflash is going after Apple for the same IP infringement, but this new suit concentrates on newer devices. Smartflash's patents have found their way int technology on newer handsets, so they're following up the original suit. And they wonder why we call them patent trolls.

Smartflash's attorney, Brad Caldwell, said "Smartflash filed the complaint to address products that came out too far into the last proceedings to have been included. Apple cannot claim they don't know about these patents or understand that they are infringing. A diligent jury has already rejected those arguments."

The patents a court found Apple had violated have to do with the downloading and access of media, like songs, video, and games. The case centers around iTunes, where Apple is believed to pivot into a streaming service in the near future.

No trial date has been set.

Source: Reuters