Snapchat, Twitter, LinkedIn targeted in camera patent suit
A US company has sued Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and others for allegedly infringing a patent covering technology directed to digital photo processing.
Fo2go, a non-practising entity (NPE) based in Delaware, has brought 15 concurrent lawsuits targeting primarily social media companies.
The lawsuits, filed on Tuesday (January 27) at the US District Court for the District of Delaware, accuse the companies of infringing US patent 7,173,651, called “Apparatus and system for prompt digital photo delivery and archival”.
The accused companies, which also include Myspace, Pinterest, Dropbox and Photobucket, are said to be infringing Fo2go’s patent by using their respective smartphone apps “in connection with” a digital photo processing system.
One of the allegations in the complaints is that the accused companies have infringed “at least claim two [of the patent]”, which is referred to as a digital photo processing system.
Claim two includes technology for a wireless digital camera to capture images and a server that is responsive to messages received at the app from the camera.
In the complaints, Fo2go claims it is “the assignee of all rights, title and interest in the ‘651 patent”, including “all rights to enforce and prosecute actions for infringement” and to collect damages for all relevant times against infringers.
“Each and all of the defendants’ infringing conduct thus causes plaintiff irreparable harm and will continue to cause such harm without the issuance of an injunction,” the complaints say.
Fo2go claims the ‘651 patent has been cited as prior art during the prosecution of subsequently-issued US patents to companies including Blackberry, Fujitsu, Canon and Sanyo.
The NPE is seeking damages and attorney’s fees as well as a judgment of infringement against the companies.
WIPR has contacted Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Myspace, Pinterest, Photobucket and Dropbox for comment, and will provide an update if we hear from them.
