Soverain Software, a “patent troll,” has filed a complaint against Apple in the Eastern District Court of Texas for alleged infringement of IP relating to Internet-based services. The company claims Apple infringes its data extraction and network management patent portfolio.
Soverain says it has suffered “monetary damages, and seeks recovery in an amount adequate to compensate for Apple’s infringement, but in no event less than a reasonable royalty for the use made of the invention by Apple together with interest and costs as fixed by the Court.”
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.
