Hybrid Audio LLC slapped Apple, Dell and HTC with a patent infringement lawsuit over products that process MP3 audio file data. The filing targets the MacBook Pro, iPhone 4, iPod nano and iTunes, along with several Dell laptop lines, and HTC’s Evo 4G smartphone.
The patent in question, RE40,281, describes a “multi-carrier transmission system utilizing channels of different bandwidth,” and the lawsuit references products that “contain or use hardware and/or software for processing audio information in accordance with the MPEG-1 Layer III (MP3) standard,” according to FOSS Patents.
Tyler, Texas, based Hybrid Audio filed its lawsuit in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Texas — a court that’s known for favoring patent holders. The company is asking the court for an injunction blocking Apple, Dell and HTC from selling products that allegedly infringe on the patent.
Apple hasn’t commented on Hybrid Audio’s lawsuit.