Sssshhh!! Stop laughing at the back, there……………………

Well, people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones, as the saying goes. And after the recent news about Apple sueing HTC over patent infringements, you would think the Cupertino company would take more notice of that very phrase.

However, it appears they haven’t.

Today, Taiwanese company Elan Microelectronics filed a suit with the U.S. International Trade Commission, which alleges that a particular Apple product violates a patent already awarded to them.  Patent No. 7,274,353 is “a fundamental patent to the detection of multi-fingers that allows for any subsequent multi-finger applications to be implemented”.

So what does this mean? Well, potentially this could be hugely significant. Apple use the multitouch technology in just about everything they sell: the iPhone and iPod; the latest Apple Mac range and the Magic Mouse that comes with it and of course, the soon-to-arrive iPad.

If Elan are succesful, it could stop Apple from importing any of its multitouch devices into the US. Interestingly, Elan have already successfully sued the company Synaptics for the exact same technology, which was used in some touchpad devices and eventually led to a licensing agreement between the two companies.

GigaOm suggest that any sort of deal or similar agreement with Apple is highly unlikely – and I’m inclined to agree. Many people out there will find this bordering on hysterical, with Apple looking like they might have to wipe some serious egg off their faces – and I’m inclined to agree with them as well.

So, what side is your bread buttered? Will you see an Elan victory as one in the eye for the big guy, or does biting a big chunk from the Great Apple taste a bit bitter? Let us know your thoughts below…………….

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