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Microsoft Co-founder Sues Tech Giants over Patents
AOL, Apple, eBay, Facebook, Google, Yahoo, and YouTube are among the major technology companies named in a lawsuit filed by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. The suit, filed by Allen’s firm, Interval Licensing LLC, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, alleges infringement of four patents developed by Allen’s Interval Research Corporation in the 1990s. “These key patents are fundamental to the ways leading e-commerce and search companies operate today,” Interval Licensing stated in a press release.
Google, Facebook and eBay have released statements that they plan to defend against these allegations, with a Facebook spokesman claiming, “We believe this suit is completely without merit and we will fight it vigorously.” The other companies listed in the suit declined to comment.
Notably missing in the suit is Allen’s former company, Microsoft, which he founded with Bill Gates in 1975. Allen has not played a prominent role in the company for years, but remains a shareholder.
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