Apple is Now Free to Burst
11.26.07 - 01:59pm
Apple can now legally streamline video and music to your iPod as fast as it wishes, as it is free from the impending Burst’s lawsuit. The suit, which was originally filed by Burst in 2004, and which was set to go to trial in 2008, has been settled by a payout from Apple for $10,000,000.
The suit stated that iTunes and Quicktime software infringed on Bursts patents. Burst specialized in audio/video-over-IP software. The patents they supposedly infringed on allowed for shows to be downloaded in “Faster-Than-Real-Time” technology. Therefore it doesn’t take 2 hrs to download a 2hr movie.
Apple attempted to buy licenses for use of the Bursts patents years ago but not liking the price decided to deal with the lawsuit instead, and for a measly $10 mil. they got quite a deal. Microsoft was hit by a similar lawsuit from Burst during the same time as the Apple lawsuit. Microsoft ended up paying a great deal more spending $60 million to settle with the company.
