Apple Legal Goes After Knock-Off Power Adapters
Posted 11/26/2009 at 8:34am
| by J.R. Bookwalter

Apple’s legal team is throwing its weight at a California-based company allegedly infringing on patents held for their unique power adapters.
Anaheim, California-based Media Solutions Holdings is accused of violating Apple’s patents and selling infringing power adaptors on such websites as laptopsforless.com, laptopacadapter.com and ereplacements.com. The complaint charges that MSH sells “various consumer electronic accessories at retail, including knock-off power adapters for use with genuine Apple portable computers.”
According to a report on Information Week, Apple is claiming that some of the power adapters sold through these websites violate its “power adapter” patent issued in August, 2003. Apple’s complaint provides a side-by-side comparison of their authorized adapters next to the allegedly infringing ones.
“The defendants market these knock-off power adapters for use with Apple portable computers, such as the MacBook,” the complaint states.
Apple has become accustomed to such legal battles, but usually as defendants. In just the second half of 2009, over 15 patent lawsuits were filed involving Apple, with only this one as a plaintiff.
Patent litigation is said to average a whopping $4.5 million through trial per case. Apple is a member of the Patent Fairness Coalition, which was established to reform the patent system and avoid such costly legal battles. Among the questionable practices they hope to curtail are the rising number of lawsuits from non-practicing businesses who exist exclusively to litigate and collect patent royalties.