October 3, 2007
Utah Company suing Nike and Apple
Leaper Footwear LLC is suing Nike and Apple for a patent infringement on their Nike+Ipod product.I hate reading things like this. If there really is an infringement then I can see the need to sue, but patents are usually easy to get around - since the implementation of a patent is what is valuable, not the idea.
The implementation of Leapers patent has to be identical to Apple’s implementation or Leaper has no case. It would have been so much more pleasing to see that, prior to the release of the Nike+Ipod product, that this Utah company was able to make a deal with Apple to use parts of their patent.
I’m all about companies being deal makers. If you can’t cut a deal then you shouldn’t be in business. Enough of this “Lawsuits are my business model” mentality.
