Boston University Sues Apple For 1997 Patent Infringement

Cupertino is on the wrong end of a lawsuit this time around (it is a rare change in the scenario, as Apple tends to be the one suing other people, or at least that is the perception that the company gives to certain quarters), as Boston University has taken Apple to task for allegedly infringing on a 1997 patent. This 1997 patent involves the manufacturing of gallium nitride thin films that are used in semiconductors. Boston University wants not only financial compensation but also a ban on US sales of the purportedly offending iPad, iPhone 5 and MacBook Air, although there is a nagging feeling in our guts that the former is the university’s actual purpose of the lawsuit.

Needless to say, should Boston University actually manage to see a sales ban enforced on the iPhone 5, MacBook Air and iPad in the US, it would create shockwaves globally, and Apple’s shares would most probably plummet like never before. Unfortunately for the higher learning institution, this scenario does not look too likely, and it would most probably end with a whimper. Not only that, the patent itself expires in 2015, so time is a-tickin’!

Edwin Kee
Categories: Apple
Tags: Apple Inc, lawsuit, Patent