Apple iPad Air Slammed With A Patent Lawsuit

It seems with every new Apple invention someone comes out of left field to slam to successful company with a lawsuit. This time around it’s the Apple iPad Air, which was recently slammed with a patent lawsuit. The company in question is the Texas-based Hilltop Technology LLC. The manufacturer is claiming that iPhone and iPad has infringed on the patent in relation to the touch screens.

In particular the Texas-based company is accusing the Apple iPad Air of using its patent on the touch screen. According to Tech Times, Yu-Huei Chang of Taiwan was assigned to the gadget Sense Pad Tech.

The patent, which was filed on April 23, 2008 and completed on January 4, 2011 states:

“A capacitive type touch panel having a transparent substrate having opposite top and bottom surfaces; an array of first and second conductors formed on said top surface of said transparent substrate; an array of second conductors; and a plurality of spaced apart conductive first and second bridging lines.”

So far Apple, the company behind the iPad Air has not made a statement in regards to the pending lawsuit. The complaint filed by Hilltop Technology LLC reads:

“Apple’s products that infringe the ‘503 Patent include, but are not limited to, all Apple products having a capacitive type touch panel, including its iPad Air having capacitive-type Touch-On-Lens (TOL)touch panels. Apple is thus liable for infringement of the ‘503 Patent.”

The papers filed in court by the Texas-based company about the iPad Air reads as follows:

“A permanent injunction enjoining Apple and its officers, directors, agents,servants, affiliates, employees, divisions, branches, subsidiaries, parents, and all others acting inactive concert therewith from infringing the 503 Patent. A judgment and order requiring Apple to pay Hilltop Technology LLC its damages, costs, expenses, and prejudgment and post-judgment interest for Apple’s infringement of the ‘503 Patent.”

In addition to the iPad Air lawsuit, Apple is also dealing with a patent against Apple’s A7 Processor, which was filed by the University of Wisconsin for their computer scientists work.

It’s not surprising that Apple would not comment in regards to the iPad Air lawsuit, because they have bigger fish to fry. Currently Samsung Electronics Co and Apple Inc are protecting their features on both smartphones as the two companies battle it out in a first patent-infringement case. Although Apple won a similar case against Samsung in 2012, the two companies will go head to head in court in March over newer models.