Creative says has patent covering iPod technology

Oh, this ought to prove interesting. It seems that Creative is claiming that they have the patent for the iPod technology.

Creative Technology, a maker of portable music players, on Tuesday said it was awarded a U.S. patent that applied to Apple Computer Inc.’s iPod and other rivals.

Creative said it was considering its alternatives, but did not say whether it would file a patent suit, which is typically an expensive process, seek licensing agreements or even if it had talked with Apple.

Apple had no immediate comment.

Analyst Phil Leigh of Inside Digital said he considered the patent award a significant development for both companies.

“We consider it a dead certainty that Creative will go after Apple for royalties or some other type of compensation for what Creative will assert is infringement of its patents, currently and in the past,” Leigh said. [Read the rest]