Microsoft Apple Google is sued infringement icon patent

December 29, Cygnus Systems, a Michigan Internet company in the United States, recently sued Microsoft, Apple and Google, saying three companies violated a patent they had just acquired. The patent is accessed and navigated to the file by rendering a thumbnail image. Microsoft's Vista, Apple's cover flow and Google's Chrome have allegedly violated the patent. Cygnus said it would then be sued by more companies.

The patent, called the Icon Software Environmental management method, is numbered US7346850, which is described in the overview as a way to represent the active document through a graphical thumbnail in the operating system, in other words, Cygnus's patent displays the document being browsed through thumbnail previews, The patent also covers the behavior of changing the content of the document represented by dynamically updated icons. For example, Opera's Speed dial feature provides an accessible visual dashboard for the site. Cygnus also mentions the IPhone's file preview icon and Safari browser to the Tab thumbnail.

But the complaint also has loopholes, such as pointing to Google, which says Google is selling its Chrome web browser with the patented technology, but in fact Chrome is free. Cygnus, who filed the patent application on June 8, 2001, was approved on March 18, 2008 and began to prepare for the lawsuit.

Microsoft, Apple and Google do not seem to be the only targets of Cygnus, and many companies and products, such as Adobe, Opera, IPhoto, Windows Mobile, and even Flickr, will be their targets. However, given the power of the company sued, the farce may not last long and, given the short time between litigation and patent adoption, and the scope of the lawsuit, the lawsuit may not have much of a chance for Cygnus to win.