Taiwanese Firm Sues Apple Over Multitouch Technology Ahead Of iPad Launch

Apple has reportedly been slapped with a lawsuit by a Taiwanese firm which urged the US authorities to cease the Cupertino-based electronics giant from selling devices boasting touchscreen capabilities, such as iPhone, iPod, as well as the iPad.

Elan Microelectronics Corp., a specialist in touch technology, has filed a complaint with the US International Trade Commission (ITC), just a few days before Apple is all set to ship its highly touted multitouch tablet computing device iPad.

The Taiwanese tech company claimed that Apple is breaching on its patents pertaining to touch-powered input devices with the feature of recognising input from two or more fingers simultaneously.

“We have taken the step of filing the ITC complaint as a continuation of our efforts to enforce our patent rights against Apple's ongoing infringement. A proceeding in the ITC offers a quick and effective way for Elan to enforce its patent”, Elan said in a statement on Tuesday.

In its complaint, Elan urged the ITC to investigate whether Apple has infringed on its patent, number 7,274,353, and in case it finds that Apple breached trade laws, cease shipping of all the products that come under the aforementioned patent.

However, this isn’t the first time when Elan is suing Apple, as the former did so last year, when it filed a legal suit with the US District Court, and sought triple damages and a reasonable royalty.