Los Angeles (Reuters) - Privately held Friskit Inc. on Tuesday said it had filed a patent infringement lawsuit against digital media software provider RealNetworks Inc RNWK.O and its online music unit, Listen.com. San Francisco -based Friskit, a technology licensing company, is seeking a permanent injunction that would prevent the two companies from using what it claims is its technology for streaming online media, which include Webcast sounds.
RealNetworks and Listen.com, which operates the Rhapsody music subscription service, both dismissed the claims. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Chicago on Friday, alleges RealNetworks" RealOne Player Plus and Listen.com"s Rhapsody music subscription service infringe on three of Friskit"s patents for streaming digital media.
The lawsuit said that the patents had been granted between May 2002 and February."We spent years and millions of dollars developing and patenting the most convenient ways for consumers to find, personalize and play streaming media over networks," said George Aposporos, chairman and Chief Executive of Friskit.