Close
  • Latest News
  • Cybersecurity
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Mobile
  • Networking
  • Storage
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Menu
Search
  • Latest News
  • Cybersecurity
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Mobile
  • Networking
  • Storage
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Applications
    • Applications
    • Cloud

    Google Sued for Alleged Google Earth Patent Infringement

    By
    Todd R. Weiss
    -
    February 21, 2014
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      Google is being sued by a German design and engineering company over allegations that its Google Earth product infringes on the patents held for a similar product invented by the company, ART+COM, back in 1994.

      The lawsuit, which was filed Feb. 20 in United States District Court in Delaware, claims Google Earth displays “a remarkable similarity to the Terravision system developed by ART+COM in the 90s and whose technology its inventors had patented back then,” according to a statement from Berlin-based ART+COM.

      “ACI, which is a spin-off of ART+COM AG, charges that Google Earth products infringe U.S. Patent No. RE44,550, entitled ‘Method and Device for Pictorial Representation of Space-related Data,’ relating to its Google Earth Technology,” the statement continues.

      The lawsuit alleges that “Google Earth can be traced directly to ACI’s patented method through Google Earth’s ‘development’ history, including current executives.” The complaint also alleges that “Google Earth bears remarkable similarities to ART+COM’s commercial system, which was developed nearly a decade prior to Google’s introduction of Google Earth.”

      ART+COM’s lawsuit alleges that two of Google’s current executives—Michael Jones, the chief technical officer of Google Earth, and Brian McClendon, the head of the Google Geo Group and vice president of engineering for Google Maps, “previously worked for companies that had access to information regarding the implementation of Terravision.”

      Terravision “is a networked virtual representation of the earth based on satellite images, aerial shots, altitude data and architectural data” that “serves as an environment to organize and access information spatially” when accessed by users. “Users can navigate seamlessly from overviews of the earth to extremely detailed objects and buildings.”

      The lawsuit alleges that “both Jones and McClendon were aware of Terravision and generally familiar with its capabilities from their tenure with SGI,” where they previously worked before joining Google.

      “Terravision was developed using Onyx computers of Silicon Graphics, Inc. (SGI) which were the most powerful available at the time for processing and displaying graphical data,” an ACI spokesman said in a statement. “In the course of developing Terravision, our inventors worked directly with Michael T. Jones when he was at SGI, where he was our designated contact person. We understand SGI subsequently used Terravision as a demonstration of the capabilities of their Onyx computers.”

      ART+COM declined a request from eWEEK for further comment about the lawsuit.

      In a prepared statement, Scott Partridge, the lead counsel for ACI in the case, said: “The ART+COM patent is not directed to a mere feature of Google Earth. Instead, the patent covers the basic technology that, for example, allows Google Earth users to fly over the earth to a particular destination, and then look at details like weather, buildings, and other images. It operates in a way that is remarkably similar to the Terravision system developed by ART+COM in the mid-90s. It is a fundamental patent.”

      Google Earth began as a Google service in 2005 after Google’s 2004 acquisition of Keyhole Inc., which previously created a product called EarthViewer 3D, according to the complaint.

      The lawsuit alleges that ART+COM executives have in the past actively communicated with Google since 2006 about concerns relating to possible patent infringement involving Google Earth, but that those communications have never resolved the matter.

      ART+COM is asking the court to find Google guilty of willful patent infringement in the case and is seeking unspecified damages and attorney’s fees in the case.

      Through a spokesman, Google also declined to comment on the lawsuit when approached via email by eWEEK.

      Avatar
      Todd R. Weiss
      As a technology journalist covering enterprise IT for more than 15 years, I joined eWEEK.com in September 2014 as the site's senior writer covering all things mobile. I write about smartphones, tablets, laptops, assorted mobile gadgets and services,mobile carriers and much more. I formerly was a staff writer for Computerworld.com from 2000 to 2008 and previously wrote for daily newspapers in eastern Pennsylvania. I'm an avid traveler, motorcyclist, technology lover, cook, reader, tinkerer and mechanic. I drove a yellow taxicab in college and collect toy taxis and taxi business cards from around the world.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Android

      Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro: Durability for Tough...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 5, 2020 0
      Have you ever dropped your phone, winced and felt the pain as it hit the sidewalk? Either the screen splintered like a windshield being...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Why Data Security Will Face Even Harsher...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 1, 2020 0
      Who would know more about details of the hacking process than an actual former career hacker? And who wants to understand all they can...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      How Veritas Is Shining a Light Into...

      eWEEK EDITORS - September 25, 2020 0
      Protecting data has always been one of the most important tasks in all of IT, yet as more companies become data companies at the...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      How NVIDIA A100 Station Brings Data Center...

      Zeus Kerravala - November 18, 2020 0
      There’s little debate that graphics processor unit manufacturer NVIDIA is the de facto standard when it comes to providing silicon to power machine learning...
      Read more
      Apple

      Why iPhone 12 Pro Makes Sense for...

      Wayne Rash - November 26, 2020 0
      If you’ve been watching the Apple commercials for the past three weeks, you already know what the company thinks will happen if you buy...
      Read more
      eWeek


      Contact Us | About | Sitemap

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      Terms of Service | Privacy Notice | Advertise | California - Do Not Sell My Information

      © 2021 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×