Major vendors slapped with Bluetooth patent lawsuit

Bluetooth technology is widely used in phones and laptops

Canadian wireless technology firm WiLAN has filed a lawsuit accusing several major companies, including Apple, Dell, HP and Intel, of infringing on its patented Bluetooth technology.

WiLAN filed the action in the US District Court in Texas yesterday, claiming that the vendors have violated patented technology that stops Wi-Fi and Bluetooth signals interfering with each another on mobile phones and laptops.

Other companies cited in the law suit include Acer, Belkin, Lenovo, LG Electronics, Motorola, Sony Corporation and Toshiba.

Apple declined to comment on the lawsuit. Belkin, Motorola and Sony were contacted, but had not replied at the time of publication.

WiLAN is being represented by legal firm McKool Smith, which recently helped security firm VirnetX to win £69m in damages from Microsoft in a patent case also held in Texas.

Legal disputes have become widespread in the technology industry in recent times, as players big and small tussle over key technologies.

Apple and Nokia are currently suing each another over alleged patent infringements, while Kodak has filed a complaint against Apple and RIM over alleged patent infringement in digital cameras embedded in phones.