A Switzerland-based communication firm on Monday filed a lawsuit against Apple, alleging that the corporation is committing patent infringement, unfair trade practices, monopolization and tortious interference by promoting the iPhone as a touchscreen book reader.
In its 7-page complaint [pdf], Monec Holding Ltd, a business that develops and markets data transmission tools for mobile electronics, cites a patent it filed seven years ago titled "Electronic device, preferably an electronic book." The patent describes a lightweight electronic device with a touchscreen LCD display for reading e-books. The firm claims Apple is violating the patent by distributing reader applications through the App Store — thereby endorsing the iPhone as an eBook reader.
The iPhone has been a tremendous success for Apple, but it's induced plenty of legal headaches for the corporation as well. In the past year, several dissatisfied customers have filed lawsuits alleging Apple falsely advertised the iPhone 3G's network speeds.
Apple sued for promoting iPhone as eBook reader [AppleInsider]
See Also:
- Amazon Brings Kindle to iPhone
- Hands On with Classics: The Future of iPhone E-Readers?
- Free Software Turns the iPhone Into an E-Book Reader
Photo: mattrobs/Flickr
