In a case alleging that 26 major banks and businesses infringed on patented cellphone application technology allowing for the transfer of money, a federal judge has ruled that the defendants didn’t meet their burden to impose a prosecution bar on the patent holder’s lawyers.
The banks and businesses, including Capital One, Expedia and Starbucks, deny the allegations that they infringed on apps for the iPhone, Android and BlackBerry, and moved to impose a ban that would keep lawyers for Maxim Integrated Products from prosecuting patent claims on behalf of Maxim for the next two years if they receive sensitive discovery materials from the defendants.
