Spotify Accused Of Patent Infringement

Online music service Spotify has been hit with a lawsuit by software company PacketVideo, which claims the music-streaming business is infringing upon one of its patents.

PacketVideo, which cites Verizon Wireless as one of its customers that uses the technology, says Spotify has violated U.S. patent 5,636,276.

“PacketVideo’s software products form the foundation for audience-interactive media experiences that give consumers the freedom to enjoy multimedia content however, whenever and wherever they want,” the company claims in the lawsuit and, in a statement, said Spotify’s use of its patented technology “enables Spotify’s cloud-based music service.”

PacketVideo says it took over ownership of patent ’276 when it acquired Swiss company Basel in 1997.

CNET News’ Don Reisinger wrote, “It appears that the patent is quite broad.”

Spotify responded to the lawsuit in a statement.

“In just under three years, Spotify has become more popular than any other music service of its kind. This success is, in large part, due to our own highly innovative, proprietary hybrid technology that incorporates peer-to-peer technology. The result is what we humbly believe to be a better music experience – lightning fast, dead simple and really social.

“PacketVideo is claiming that by distributing music over the Internet, Spotify (and by inference any other similar digital music service) has infringed one of the patents that has previously been acquired by PacketVideo. Spotify is strongly contesting PacketVideo’s claim.”