AfterDawn: News

Apple Computer has filed a lawsuit against the streaming video research and development company Sorenson Media for licencing technology to Macromedia for use in their Flash MX player. Apple has licensed a similar, low bandwidth video technology from Sorenson earlier.

According to the lawsuit Sorenson has "intentionally disrupted the economic advantage that Apple expected to gain from its exclusive rights under the agreement." The technology licensed to Macromedia was Sorenson Spark while the technology licensed exclusively to Apple's Quicktime product line was Sorenson Video.



"We are greatly surprised by the presumptive filing of this suit without prior discussions or understandings between the parties," Jim Sorenson, chief executive of Sorenson Media, said in a statement. "As is usual practice, we are always willing to discuss and work to resolve issues."

Apple sees that Sorenson has broken the license agreement by licensing similar technology to a competing third party developer. They are seeking damages and injunction against Sorenson to stop from licensing it's technology to Macromedia.

Macromedia has stated that although the Flash MX player is capable of playing video, it is not in direct competition with Quicktime, since the streaming-video market is focused on the server software sales.

Written by: Jari Ketola @ 2 May 2002 14:03