Apple, Google, Napster sued in patent lawsuit

Failed movie download service Intertainer has filed a lawsuit in US district court naming Apple, Google, and Napster as defendants - accusing them of violating patents for its digital entertainment platform.

The technology -- which covers methods of price management and distribution -- is one of nine patents held by Intertainer.

Intertainer's movie service was launched in the late 1990s, an dstruggled to reach deals with the major movie studios. After the studios' push for Movielink in the early part of this decade, combined with slow growth, Intertainer shut its doors in the fall of 2002.

A lawsuit was later filed, and an antitrust investigation launched against the major movie studios by the Justice Department. The investigation closed in 2004 without producing any evidence of wrongdoing, and the movie studios settled with Intertainer in March 2005, paying an undisclosed sum.

Intertainer exists only as a patent-holding firm now, however, its board of directors appears ready to defend its rights moving forward with the patent violation lawsuit.

Intertainment's founder, Jonathan Taplin, stated that the decision to sue the three media giants was that of the company, and nothing to do with any interest initial backers Microsoft and Intel may have in the matter.

Interestingly enough, both Microsoft and Intel have music store projects underway. Apple, Google, and Napster could be viewed as threats to either company's endeavours.