Big tech companies are often sued for patent infringement all the time. However, a recent news has been drawing attention: A Native American tribe is suing Apple for patent infringement.
The lawsuit was filed in March in Delaware federal court by a Texas company named Prowire LCC, alleging that the iPad 4 infringed one of its patents. Apple, in turn, asked the judge responsible for the case to transfer the case to California, however, before that happens, Prowire informed the court that the patent had been transferred to MEC Resources LCC, which is from Dakota do North.
MEC Resources is owned by an organization called Three Affiliated Tribes, which is made up of three indigenous nations. So Apple is face to face with Native Americans.
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One of the protections would be the possibility of avoiding a procedure called "inter partes review" (IPR), an evaluation that precedes the process and that could invalidate the patent, ending there with the prosecution process.
The IPR is responsible for simplifying processes involving patents as it is less bureaucratic and even cheaper than the courts.
"This has made him loved by tech companies, who are often defendants [in lawsuits over] patents — and hated by pharmaceutical companies, who are typically claiming their patents against generic competitors," Ars clarifies.
