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.
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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.