Internet Patents by IBM Allegedly Infringed by Amazon.com
I As a Florida patent attorney, I find myself regularly following news relating to IBM. Not only is IBM consistently one of the top 10 patent filers in the U.S., but the birthplace of the P.C. was right here in Boca Raton, Florida. In fact, IBM’s main complex was just northwest of Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton until they relocated to Research Triangle Park in North Carolina.
Internet patents are asserted by IBM claiming patent infringement by Amazon.com. IBM has charged the e-commerce giant, Amazon with two lawsuits, seeking unspecified damages as reported by www.pcadvisor.co.uk
IBM further added that it had tried to resolve the issue outside of court regarding the Internet patents for four years before deciding to sue Amazon.
According to the article, Amazon.com deliberately exploits its intellectual property by encroaching on several patents, whose coverage includes the storage of data in an interactive network, the presentation of applications in an interactive service, the ordering of items from an electronic catalogue and the presentation of advertising in an interactive service.
As IBM puts it, Amazon had been originally informed about the alleged infringement in September 2002, but the e-commerce company did not want to go for "meaningful discussions". IBM says that the patents in question are licensed by other companies. However, neither IBM nor Amazon has responded to further queries.