Apple Sued for Allegedly Stealing Noise Reduction Technology

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Posted July 8, 2012 at 6:59pm by iClarified

Apple has been sued by Noise Free for allegedly stealing their noise reduction technology, reports Computer World.

Noise Free Wireless holds U.S. patent 7,742,790 (filed in May 2007, awarded June 2010) that covers a method for reducing or cancelling environmental noise, such as wind, from a voice transmission on a cell phone.

The company says they presented their technology to Apple in September of 2007 and over the next three years had several meetings at Apple's headquarters. Noise Free says they provided Apple with confidential material including an evaluation circuit board. Initially there was a verbal agreement to confidentiality and a formal non-disclosure agreement was signed in September 2008.

In August 2010, Noise Free learned that Apple decided to go with technology from Audience for its products. They also learned that in June of 2010, Apple filed a patent for a suppressing noise in a signal while retaining the user's voice.

Noise Free alleges that Apple "extracted Noise Free's proprietary and confidential object code, determined Noise Free's noise reduction software and measured and duplicated the signal traces from the circuit board and microcontroller," and supplied the information to Audience. It also says that Apple's patent contains some of the ideas and inventions disclosed during their meetings.

The company is asking the court to find Apple misappropriated trade secrets, breached contract, and engaged in unfair business practices. It also wants damages for patent infringement and an invalidation of Apple's patent.

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Apple Sued for Allegedly Stealing Noise Reduction Technology

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rudyy - July 9, 2012 at 4:59pm

A judge should put an immediate stop to the sale of Apple's iPhones.

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Tames - July 9, 2012 at 2:53am

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NoGoodNick - July 8, 2012 at 8:49pm

Although I hate to see little guys getting beat up by large companies, this again reinforces why the copyright/patent laws need to be completely rewritten in regard to computer code. While it makes sense to have a 'first come, first served' system for physical inventions, when implemented in virtual coding, what you end up is inferior products, that end up in bankrupcy because their product isn't good enough to sell to the product, but that they can then sell to someone else who'll hold up the entire tech industry while everyone fights over who did what first, and how 'similar' products that do similar things aren't the same as copying something. I have a feeling Apple just wanted to use a better product, and I doubt they'd purposely steal someone's technology. (But then I'm a wide-eyed optimist, too!)

Vipul - July 9, 2012 at 6:15am

You all are apple fanboys.....!!!