JPEG Patent Issues Resurface

by Glen Shapiro, LawAndTax-News.com, New York

27 April 2004

Software vendor, Forgent Networks last week filed patent infringement cases against 31 leading technology and photographic firms over issues surrounding the JPEG image standard.

In two separate patent infringement lawsuits filed in East Texas's District Court, Forgent accused companies such as Agfa, Canon, Dell, Eastman Kodak, Fuji, Macromedia, Xerox, Gateway, HP, and Toshiba of infringing a patent relating to digital image compression technology.

Speaking to the eWeek news service on Thursday, director of investor relations for Forgent, Michael Noonan revealed that the firm had made an attempt to seek licensing agreements with the 31 companies in question, but that negotiations had not been successful.

"We felt at this time further discussions were not productive," he explained, adding: "They forced our hands, and we decided that litigation was the appropriate route."

This is not the first time that issues relating to patent No. 4,689,672 have arisen as a bone of contention. According to reports, following the negotiation of licensing agreements by Forgent with Sony and an undisclosed Japanese electronics firm in 2002, an industry group calling itself the JPEG (Joint Photographics Experts Group) Committee began a campaign to gather examples of prior art in order to invalidate the patent.

Recommended