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Download pioneer sues Google, Apple and Napster
Google, Apple and Napster are all being sued over movie and audio downloads by the now-defunct internet company Intertainer.Intertainer, which developed a system for cable television and internet markets, folded in 2002 but it still exists on paper and has now filed a suit in a Texas federal court.
One of its patents could govern the way movies and audio can be downloaded from the internet and the company believes it has been infringed.
Founder Jonathan Taplin told the New York Times: "Intertainer was the leader of the idea of entertainment on demand over internet platforms before Google was even thought up."
Jupiter Research analyst Joe Laszlo notes that feature-length movie download technology is still in its infancy, with only six per cent of online consumers watching movies each month. However, he conceded that the market was growing.
"The technology for streaming video and downloaded video has gotten better," he told NewsFactor. The distribution of online movies has already begun at places such as Apple's iTunes Store.
This is good news for online advertisers as a boom in viewing films at the computer will draw people away from the TV and swell the audience still further.
Google, Apple and Napster have all declined to comment on the lawsuit.
Google News posted on 04 January 2007
