A US research institution is suing Panasonic, Samsung
and Nokia over the use of “unlicensed” Bluetooth short-range
wireless technology in mobile phones and other
gadgets.
The Bluetooth data transfer solution was originally developed by
Ericsson, which has avoided the action brought by the Washington
Research Foundation (WRF), which commercialises and protects
research carried out at colleges and institutions in Washington
state.
The WRF bases its legal claim on work carried out by former
University of Washington student Edwin Suominen.
The WRF is seeking to prevent the three companies selling
specific Bluetooth devices in the US and is pursuing damages for
alleged intellectual property infringements.
Suominen handed over his radio frequency research to the
university and is supporting the legal action. He stands to take a
cut in any damages won by the WRF.
The WRF said it had resorted to legal action after failing to
agree licensing terms for the RF technology with the three
companies.
US chipmaker Broadcom has agreed to licence the technology from
the WRF, stated the issued lawsuit.
The chips used by the three companies named in the legal action
are made by British firm Cambridge Silicon Radio (CSR), but CSR is
not named in the lawsuit.
The lawsuit covers the use of the technology in the US and does
not affect devices sold elsewhere by the three companies.
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