Computer giants sued over image compression tech

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SOME OF the biggest names in the computer business are being sued by Forgent Networks for allegedly breaching technology it claims it owns on compression technology.

The firm filed notice last week that it intends to sue Adobe, Agfa, Apple, Canon, Creative Labs, Dell, Kodak, Fuji, Gateway, HP, IBM, JVC, Macromedia, Palm One, Panasonic, Toshiba, Xerox and others - a total of 31 companies.

These companies use the JPEG compression technology, and believe that does not infringe the method Forgent has in its patent portfolio.

The patent, 4,698,672, and called a "coding system for reducing redundancy", and Forgent claims it applies to digital still images, phones, printers, scanners and other devices.

The CEO of Forgent, Richard Snyder, claimed it had approached the companies but they all declined to cooperate. That left Forgent "no alternative but to litigate".

He claimed that the 672 patent has already generated $90 million in licence payments.

The patent in question is here.

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