New Tech Lawsuits Against Apple and Sony BMG

The Apple suit is based on infringement of patents owned by Burst.com relating to video and audio delivery.  Apple had been negotiating with Burst to license its technology, but those negotiations broke down.  Apple then filed a declaratory action in federal court challenging the validity of Burst's patents or that Apple has infringed them.  Burst had sued Microsoft at one point over similar issues and settled for $60 million in that case.  The story is here and here.

The Sony BMG digital rights management debacle has spawned yet more lawsuits, this time in Canada.  MTV has the story.