Amazon Sues Discovery

Claims Network Violated Its Internet Search Patents

Mike Farrell -- Multichannel News, 5/20/2009 1:20:07 PM

About two months after Discovery Communications filed a lawsuit claiming that Internet book retailer Amazon.com stole its idea for the Kindle, Amazon has returned the favor, filing an unrelated patent infringement suit against the cable channel in a Seattle court.
Discovery filed its suit against Amazon in March, claiming that the online book retailer's popular Kindle electronic book infringes on network founder and chairman John Hendricks' patent for a similar device.
In a suit filed in federal court in Seattle on May 15, Amazon claims that Discovery violates its patents concerning the way consumers conduct searches on Internet shopping sites. Amazon is asking the court to block Discovery's use of the patents and for unspecified cash compensation.
Amazon has denied infringing on Discovery's e-book patents and this most recent law suit appears to have no connection to the earlier case.
In a statement, Discovery denied infringing on Amazon's patents and looks forward to getting its day in court.