NTP files lawsuit against Apple, Microsoft and others

Wireless email firm NTP Technologies has filed lawsuits against Google, HTC, LG, Apple, Motorola and Microsoft alleging eight separate patent infringements.

The lawsuits, filed in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, all involve wireless email technology in either software applications or wireless handheld devices.

Donald Stout, NTP's co-founder, said, that using NTP's intellectual property without a license “is just plain unfair to NTP and its licensees”.

“Unfortunately, litigation is our only means of ensuring the inventor of the fundamental technology on which wireless email is based, [NTP co-founder] Tom Campana, and NTP shareholders are recognised, and are fairly and reasonably compensated for their innovative work and investment,” he said.

“We took the necessary action to protect our intellectual property."

This is not the first time NTP has been involved in patent disputes. In the mid 2000’s it eventually won its long running dispute with Blackberry maker Research in Motion (RIM).

The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) re-examined NTP's patents after the case but its Board of Patent Appeals ruled that 67 of the firm’s patent claims in four patents are valid, including three claims that RIM was found to have infringed, according to NTP.

The patent claims which the USPTO has rejected are currently on appeal at the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

"The filing of suit today is necessary to ensure that those companies who are infringing NTP's patents will be required to pay a licensing fee," Stout said.

"In view of the USPTO Board's ruling, the debate over whether Mr Campana was an originator in the field of wireless email is over.”