Patent company Eolas loses patents to web sites after appeal

A U.S. appeals court on Monday ruled in favor of Google, Amazon and J.C. Penney by upholding an earlier court decision that major portions of two patents claimed by Eolas Technologies Inc were invalid.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, DC upheld without comment a decision by a Texas federal court, which had declared invalid claims in each of the two major patents by Texas-based Eolas.

Eolas had said in its 2009 complaint that its patents covered major aspects of the Internet, such as Web pages and interactive content.

Because the patent claims were invalid, Google, Amazon and J.C. Penney Co Inc were found in the original ruling not to have infringed. Eolas was ordered to pay their costs, the Texas court said in July 2012.

Eolas did not respond to requests for comment. Google said it was "pleased with the court's decision."

Other companies had previously settled with Eolas, which has been labeled a "patent troll" because it does not make anything and files many patent lawsuits.

Eolas' web site said that the companies which had settled included Office Depot, Rent-A-Center Inc, Texas Instruments Inc, Playboy Enterprises International Inc, New Frontier Media, JPMorgan Chase and Argosy Publishing Inc.

To continue reading, click here.

(REUTERS)

(These latest Intellectual Property (IP) news and events presented here, are prepared and compiled by us, the World Patent & Trademark Law Office (WPTO), for your reference and information)