Dolby sues RIM – wants to halt sales of PlayBook no comments
Dolby Laboratories has filed a set of patent infringement lawsuits against Research in Motion. Dolby is seeking financial damages and is also trying to get an injunction against RIM to halt sales of RIM products that allegedly infringe on the company’s patents, including the PlayBook tablet.
The lawsuits explain that RIM infringes Dolby patents covering highly efficient digital audio compression technologies which allow manufacturers and consumers to provide and enjoy high quality audio while using extremely limited amounts of transmission and/or storage space for such audio. RIM employs Dolby’s patented technologies in its Blackberry smart phones and Playbook tablet devices, without having obtained licenses from Dolby, the lawsuits say. All other major smart phone makers have agreed to license the Dolby technologies which are the subject of this litigation.
“Litigation was regrettably our last resort after RIM declined to pay for the use of Dolby’s technology,” said Andy Sherman, executive vice president and general counsel of Dolby. “We have a duty to protect our intellectual property.”
Dolby has filed lawsuits against RIM both in the US and in Germany.
