Another day, another lawsuit. AppleInsider reports that Apple has been hit with a lawsuit alleging that its AirPods infringe on a pair of patents owned by “an obscure Texas LLC that cover wireless earpiece and wearable device technology.”
WFR IP LLC, which appears to be a non-practicing entity (in other words, a “patent troll”), filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas on Friday. It seeks relief from patent infringement on two patents-in-suit. While the complaint doesn’t mention AirPods by name, it claims that Apple “makes, uses, offers for sale, and sells wireless earpiece and wearable piece products and services” that infringe on the patents-in-suit.
What’s a patent troll?
A patent troll is an individual or an organization that purchases and holds patents for unscrupulous purposes such as stifling competition or launching patent infringement suits. In legal terms, a patent troll is a type of non-practicing entity: someone who holds a patent but is not involved in the design or manufacture of any product or process associated with that patent.
