Apple, Dell and HP sued over CDMA and Wi-Fi patents

Some of the biggest names in the technology sector have been sued by a Canada-based holding company over wireless patent violation claims.

WiLAN has filed suit against nine companies, including Apple, HP, Dell, Alcatel-Lucent, Kyocera and HTC America, claiming violation of two patents for wireless broadband communications.

The patents cover HSPA and CDMA networks, and Wi-Fi and LTE communications, according to WiLAN.

The company has filed suit in an eastern Texas US district court, which has become a popular venue for intellectual property suits.

WiLAN's filing adds to a busy year for legal challenges in the mobile and wireless sector.

Apple filed suit against Samsung in April over alleged patent violations in its Galaxy Tab devices. The two companies are due to meet in September for a ruling which could lead to a ban on Galaxy Tab sales in Europe.

Apple's developers, meanwhile, have faced uncertainty after a series of filings by holding firm Lodsys over iOS developer tools. Apple has attempted to intervene in the case on behalf of its developer community.

Google's Android platform also faces a legal challenge. Oracle has filed suit over alleged Java patent violations which the company claims have caused billions of dollars in losses.