Uber sued over use of location-based software

Transportation company Uber has been sued over its use of location-based technologies in its app.

The complaint was filed by Fall Line Patents at the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Tyler Division on Monday, July 10.

It relates to US patent number 9,454,748, which covers software that collects location-specific data and is compatible with all devices, eliminating the need to create new software for every device.

“Fall Line is the owner of the ‘748 patent, with all substantive rights, including the sole and exclusive right to prosecute this action and enforce the ‘748 patent against infringers,” it said in the claim.

The company claimed that Uber infringed the patent with its app, which allows users to call a taxi with their smartphone to their exact location.

“Fall Line has been damaged as a result of the infringing conduct by defendant,” the plaintiff stated in the claim.

“Thus, defendant is liable to Fall Line in an amount that adequately compensates it for such infringements, which, by law, cannot be less than a reasonable royalty, together with interest and costs as fixed by this court.”

As well as damages, the company is seeking injunctive relief and a jury trial.

A search of the US district courts database shows that Fall Line has filed five patent infringement cases so far this year, including one on the same day against Choice International Hotels.

The complaint against Uber is the third this year that the taxi-hailing company has faced for patent infringement.

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