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MP3 Tech Files Patent Infringement Lawsuit Against Apple, Samsung, and Sandisk

Texas MP3 Technologies Ltd filed a complaint against Apple, Samsung, and Sandisk Corp.

Papers filed on February 16, 2007, in Marshall, Texas bring famous Apple along with Samsung and Sandisk before a jury, for infringing patent 7,065,417, licensed by SigmaTel Inc (semiconductor company headquartered in Austin,Texas) in June 2006 and later sold to a patent licensing agency, with the following official comment: "Because these are such basic patents to digital music, we believe it will be difficult to design around these patents and have a commercially viable player."

It is unclear whether Texas MP3 Technologies was the company that initially bought the patent or the patent ended in their portfolio after several transactions. What Texas MP3 Technologies claims, and most likely is genuinely true, is that it is the "assignee of all rights" and has "all rights of recovery."

SigmaTel's current product portfolio includes the Portable Media Player solutions that empower device manufacturers and designers to create portable multimedia products that go beyond today's ordinary media players. The TV Audio product family offering high definition audio for the entire television market including digital, analog and hybrid TVs. SigmaTel Multi-Function Peripheral solutions provide the core system control that enables printer, photo-printer, copier, scanner and fax machine functionality on a single device.