TYLER, Texas, June 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Internet technology
provider Eolas Technologies Inc. has reached a settlement with
Chicago, Ill.-based Playboy
Enterprises International Inc. (NYSE: PLA) in a Texas patent infringement lawsuit. Under
the agreement, Playboy has licensed two Eolas patents that enable
Internet browsers to host embedded interactive applications.
The settlement resolves Eolas' legal claims against Playboy in
Eolas Technologies Inc. v. Adobe Systems Inc., et al., No.
6:09-cv-446. The lawsuit remains pending against several additional
defendants.
Eolas previously reached settlements and licensing agreements
with Boulder, Colo.-based New
Frontier Media (Nasdaq: NOOF); Redwood
City, Calif.-based Oracle Corporation (Nasdaq: ORCL), which
acquired defendant Sun Microsystems in January 2010; New
York-based JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM); and Newton, Massachusetts-based Argosy Publishing
Inc.
Eolas conducts leading-edge research and development to create
innovative technologies in data analysis, visualization,
collaboration and networking. For nearly 20 years, Eolas'
innovations have enabled corporations around the world to enhance
their products and improve their customers' website
experiences.
The lawsuit includes claims related to two Eolas patents, U.S.
Patent No. 5,838,906 ('906 Patent) and U.S. Patent No. 7,599,985
('985 Patent).
The '906 Patent embodies technology that enabled web browsers
for the first time to act as platforms for fully interactive
embedded applications. This advanced browser technology provides
rich interactive online experiences for more than a billion web
users worldwide. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted the
'906 Patent in November 1998.
The '906 Patent was the subject of prior litigation against
Microsoft Corp. that resulted in a 2004 federal judgment of more
than $565 million in favor of Eolas.
The USPTO has affirmed the validity of the '906 Patent in three
separate proceedings, including two patent reexaminations, the most
recent of which concluded in February
2009.
The '985 Patent is a continuation of the '906 patent, and allows
websites to add fully interactive embedded applications to their
online offerings through the use of plug-in and AJAX (asynchronous
JavaScript and XML) web development techniques. The Patent Office
issued the '985 Patent in October
2009.
Companies still named as defendants in the lawsuit include
San Jose, Calif.-based Adobe
Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: ADBE); Seattle-based Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN);
Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple Inc.
(Nasdaq: AAPL); Vernon Hills,
Ill.-based CDW Corp.; New
York-based Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C); San Jose, Calif.-based eBay Inc. (Nasdaq:
EBAY); Plano, Texas-based
Frito-Lay Inc. [a subsidiary of Purchase,
New York-based PepsiCo Inc. (NYSE: PEP)]; Scottsdale, Ariz.-based The Go Daddy Group
Inc. (Nasdaq: DADY); Mountain View,
Calif.-based Google Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOG); Plano, Texas-based J.C. Penney Co. Inc. (NYSE:
JCP); Delray Beach, FL-based
Office Depot Inc. (NYSE: ODP); Plano,
Texas-based Perot Systems Corp., which is now known as Dell
Services after being acquired by Round
Rock, Texas-based Dell Inc. (Nasdaq: DELL); Plano, Texas-based Rent-A-Center Inc. (Nasdaq:
RCII); Framingham, Mass.-based
Staples Inc. (Nasdaq: SPLS); Dallas-based Texas Instruments Inc. (NYSE:
TXN); Sunnyvale, Calif.-based
Yahoo! Inc. (Nasdaq: YHOO); and San
Bruno, Calif.-based YouTube LLC, a subsidiary of Google
Inc.
For information, contact Mike
Androvett at 800-559-4534 or
mike@androvett.com.
SOURCE Eolas Technologies Inc.