A company, Cascades Computer Innovation, which owns over 100 patents has filed antitrust charges against LG, Samsung, Motorola, HTC and Dell, saying that the companies involved have colluded to avoid negotiating with Cascades.
“Defendants have contracted, combined and conspired to restrain trade by jointly refusing to negotiate or accept licenses under the Cascades patents. Defendants’ goal is to force either a drastically reduced royalty for rights under the Cascades patents or no royalty payment at all.”
A company formed to shield its customers from patent infringement suits, RPX, is also involved in the antitrust case due to their involvement in failed negotiations between the companies named and Cascades.
Cascades has instigated legal actions against some of the accused in the past, on an individual basis. Of the companies that are being targeted, only Dell responded to the news of the suit.
“Cascades is alleging that by refusing to settle its unfounded patent infringement claims, Dell is engaging an unlawful conspiratorial refusal to deal with Cascades. Dell denies these new allegations, will defend the new case, and seek judicial relief against Cascades.”
Source: PC World