Boston University has it out for Apple in a big way. According to GigaOM on July 3, the university is suing the tech giant over a patent one of its professors applied for in 1995.
The patent has to do with an electronic semiconductor that the iPhone 5, iPad and MacBooks Air contains. The university is asking a court to ban the sale of those devices. They’re also asking for their share of Apple’s profits. Should the university win, let’s hope Apple has a different kind of technology going on in their new products.
But Apple isn’t their only target. The Boston Herald explains, “BU has filed a total of eight identical claims against smaller manufacturers and device-makers as well as two other high-profile companies, Samsung and Amazon, in the past year.”
An Boston analyst told the Herald that to win the case, BU must prove that the professor was planning to use his patent for a business. If they can make that case or if Apple decides to settle, the university could pull in around $75 million.
Though the lawsuit is being called a “bombshell,” at least one blogger doesn’t think it will pan out in Boston University’s favor. Adi Robertson of The Verge says, “Apple could well fight this latest claim, and the patent itself is set to expire in a few years....we're not exactly looking at another Apple vs. Samsung.”
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