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Lodsys, LLC a company located in Marshall, Texas, owns four patents, all of which list Daniel H. Abelow as the inventor.
The patents are related to interacting with customers over the internet in relationship to products and services. Lodsys asserts that this includes things like online help, customer support, tutorials, on-line upgrades, surveys, etc.
One of those is U.S. Patent 7,222,078 (The “078” patent) “Methods and Systems for Gathering Information from Units of a Commodity Across a Network”
Lodsys also likes to litigate and has now hit five adult brands with infringement claims of Patent 7,222,078.
Named in the suit filed last Thursday are Reality Kings parent RK Netmedia; Playboy Enterprises, Vouyer Media, Score Internet Group and FriendFinder Networks’ Penthouse unit.
The patent purports to provide interactive “methods and systems for gathering information from units of a commodity across a network,” according to the Patent Office.
According to a report on www.xbiz.com, Thursday’s suit is the first legal action taken against adult entertainment companies relative to “078.”
The suit against the adult entertainment companies points to specific websites where Lodsys has found violations. The websites named with the defendant companies include Playboy.com, RealityKings.com, Score’s 18Eighteen.com, VoyeurMedia.com and Penthouse.com.
“Defendants’ infringement is willful and deliberate, including because defendants became aware of the infringing nature of their respective products and services at the latest when they received a notice letter from Lodsys and/or the filing of Lodsys’ complaint, entitling Lodsys to increased damages …,” the suit said.
The suit seeks treble damages — triple the amount of the actual/compensatory damages — and attorneys fees against the adult companies.
Lodsys, which is based in Marshall, Texas, filed suit at U.S. District Court there.