ITT sues Verizon, Nokia and others over GPS patent infringement

ITT is asking for a jury trial in a patent infringement suit it is bringing against cellular carrier Verizon and cellphone manufacturers Nokia, Motorola, LG, Kyocera and chipmaker Qualcomm. At issue is a 1994 patent that allows a GPS system to transmit positional information from satellites to mobile devices in urban areas with light-of-sight-obstructions. ITT does allow the use of the patent in cases involving 911 emergency calls. A Verizon spokeswoman declined comment. Kyocera and Motorola spokesmen each said that their company will not comment on pending lawsuits. LG and Nokia didn't immediately return calls and Qualcomm's spokesman said that while they are aware of the lawsuit, they have no comment. A similar suit filed in the same court over the same patent was settled. In 2003, ITT filed suit against cellphone manufacturer Samsung and on the eve of the trial, an undisclosed settlement was reached. In most cases like this one, it usually is cheaper for the defendants to come to terms with the patent holder on some type of payment to cover past transgressions and future use of the patent.

source: Daily Herald via EngadgetMobile