Bose Sues Beats Over Alleged Noise-Cancelling Patents

There are many headphone companies around, although when it comes to “luxury” headphones, brands like Bose and Beats probably comes to mind. Both companies, in the audiophile world, are typically viewed as companies who price their headphones for more than they are worth. We guess this is subjective and it really depends on whether you can justify its price, but in the meantime it looks like Bose has hit Beats with a lawsuit.

In a recent court filing, Bose alleges that Beats had infringed upon five of its patents, all of which are related to noise-cancelling headphones. The patents in question include Method and apparatus for minimizing latency in digital signal processing systems; Dynamically configurable ANR signal processing topology; Dynamically configurable ANR filter block topology; High frequency compensating topology; and Digital high frequency phase compensation.

According to Bose’s attorneys, “Because Bose invests heavily in research and development, and because Bose has built its reputation on producing superior products through innovative technology, Bose’s continued success depends in substantial part on its ability to establish, maintain, and protect its proprietary technology through enforcement of its patent rights.”

The court filing also reveals that Bose is seeking damages from the loss of sales and profits from the infringing products, but they did not specify how much they were seeking. They are also asking for an injunction. Beats has yet to respond to the lawsuit, although given that the company could soon belong to Apple and considering Apple’s resources, Bose could potentially be in for a long fight, settlement notwithstanding.

Tyler Lee
Categories: Audio
Tags: beats, bose, Headphones, Legal