Google and Adobe Systems have been sued by a New Jersey company for
allegedly violating patents used for processing text, according to
recent court filings.
Textscape alleges Google is violating a
patent that covers a method for managing a body of text on a computer
that was granted to the company in 1998. Textscape says Google's
Chrome's browser improperly uses the innovation.
The lawsuit
specifically mentions the "find" feature in Chrome, which allows a
search of text on a Web page and indicates the location of search hits
in the scrollbar. Textscape is seeking royalties.
Adobe is accused of violating a different patent but one that also relates to text processing, granted to Textscape in 1999.
The
patent covers "a system and method which enables individuals to
manipulate text retrieved by a computer in such a manner that the
computer user can rapidly and accurately obtain information about the
content of a retrieved body of text without reading the text,"
according to the court filing.
Textscape, which is asking for a
jury trial on both cases, wants both Adobe and Google to pay royalties.
The cases were filed on Sept. 25 in U.S. District Court for the
Northern District of California.
Company officials were not available to comment.
