Firm Plans $100mil Lawsuit Against Apple

Taiwanese electronic firm, Luxpro, plans to sue Apple Computers for 100 million US dollars, over its MP3 player, that closely resembles the iPod Shuffle.

The long drawn legal battle between Apple and Luxpro saw a 2005 lawsuit, filed by Apple, against Luxpro's MP3 players, Super Tangent, the Top Tangent and the EZ Tangent. Apple has claimed that the rectangular case and round control buttons on the case cover of the Luxpro products closely resembled Apple's iPod Shuffle. Apple won the case and Taiwan's Shihlin District court ordered Luxpro to stop manufacturing, selling and advertising the products.

However, this ruling overturned after Luxpro appealed to the Taiwanese High Court and Supreme Court. The courts in Taiwan ruled that the appearances of the two products are 'significantly dissimilar.'

Luxpro further clarified, via a press release, that its MP3 players have a tri colour OLED display monitor that distinguishes it from the iPod shuffle. Luxpro chairman, Wu Fu Ching said, "Taiwan has very sophisticated electronic technology and we can't just let a multinational corporation take advantage of its market force to put down Taiwan’s industry at its will."

Luxpro plans to file a $100 million compensation suit, seeking damages from Apple's 'continued and illegitimate provisional disposition motion' that prevented sale of its products over the last 18 months.

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