Apple Thoughts: Apple Sued for Ebooks on iPhone

"In a 7-page complaint filed with a Virginia district court Monday, Berne, Switzerland-based MONEC Holding Ltd accuses the iPhone maker of patent infringement, unfair trade practices, monopolization, and tortious interference for allegedly treading on its January 2002 patent No. 6,335,678 titled "Electronic device, preferably an electronic book." ... In its lawsuit, the firm takes issue with Apple's move to distribute digital book reading applications through the App Store, which it subsequently sees as an endorsement by the Cupertino-based company that its touchscreen handset can serve as a capable eBook reader."

Yet again a company, which as far as I can tell has produced nothing aside from a patent application, is trying to shut down the activities of a company that actually produced something. I'm so sick of patent wars like this one I can't even begin to tell you, but I guess that's the way the tech industry is now. Hurry up and collect a ton of patents, produce nothing, then sue anyone who makes anything that might resemble that patent in spite of the fact that you've held it for years and done nothing with it.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

(Screen grab from Classics for illustrative purposes only)