Adobe is added to the list of companies being sued this year over alleged patent violations. On June 2 a company called Information Technology Innovation filed a suit that accuses Adobe of infringing on its patent. The patent itself "covers a method of retrieving files over a network by using hyperlinks."
Software maker Adobe Systems revealed in a regulatory filing Thursday that it is being sued for alleged patent violations in its Acrobat publishing software.
According to the quarterly report Adobe filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the company was sued June 2 in U.S. District Court for Colorado by Information Technology Innovation. The suit alleges that Adobe"s Acrobat products infringe on the company"s patent, originally assigned to Colorado firm MarketScape, for a "method of extracting network information."
U.S. Patent 5,892,908, granted in 1999, covers a method of retrieving files over a network by using hyperlinks. Adobe has not yet been served with the suit, according to the filing, which stated the company believes the action has no merit. Adobe representatives declined to comment on the suit, which seeks unspecified damages. Lawyers representing Information Technology Innovation did not immediately respond to requests for comment.