Koss sues Apple and Bose for allegedly copying wireless headphone tech

guest · Aug 10, 2020

Koss sues Apple and Bose for allegedly copying wireless headphone tech
JLab, Plantronics and Skullcandy are also targets
July 24, 2020
https://www.engadget.com/koss-sues-apple-bose-over-wireless-headphones-161923886.html

Koss isn’t faring as well as some companies in the wireless headphone space, but it might compensate for that through a string of lawsuits. As Patently Apple reports, Koss has sued Apple, Bose, JLab, Plantronics and Skullcandy for allegedly violating patents on wireless headphone technology.

The company claimed AirPods, the Bose 700 and other Bluetooth headphones are copying features from Koss’ Striva line of WiFi audio gear, and it wanted a payback now that the industry had “caught up” to work Koss started in the early 2000s.
The supposedly infringing companies were also notified of violations before the lawsuits were filed, although the dates for those notifications varied.
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More importantly, the lawsuits conspicuously skip companies that announced similar products earlier.
The lawsuits are focused on some of the more successful audio brands, not the first to bring key products to market, and that could be problematic if Koss wants to show that it’s consistent about enforcing its patents.
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guest · Aug 10, 2020

Apple countersues stereo headphone inventor Koss, with interesting twist
August 10, 2020
https://9to5mac.com/2020/08/10/stereo-headphone-inventor-koss/

Stereo headphone inventor Koss last month sued Apple, alleging infringement of five patents on wireless headphones. The lawsuit targets both AirPods and Beats wireless headphones.

Apple is now hitting back with a six-point countersuit. Five of the counts ask for a court to rule that Apple has not infringed each of the five patents listed in the original lawsuit, while a sixth one claims that Koss has no right to sue anyway …
Patently Apple reports that that Koss met several times with Apple, these meetings taking place under a confidentiality agreement.

Under the terms of that agreement, neither party could use anything they learned in the meetings for the purposes of litigation. Apple says this is exactly what Koss has done.
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The twist? It was Koss, not Apple, which insisted on the confidentiality agreement, so Koss may have sabotaged its own lawsuit.

I suggested earlier that the stereo headphone inventor appeared to be claiming ownership of fundamental technology used in all wireless headphones, and may have decided to start with the company with the deepest pockets before then going after other brands. If so, that may have been a strategic error, as Apple is not known for settling such cases, preferring instead to litigate them.
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guest · Jul 25, 2022

Apple and Koss settle dispute over wireless headphone patents
The two made peace just before a trial.
July 25, 2022

Apple and Koss have ended their feud over wireless headphone patents shortly before trial. As Reuters notes, the two told a Waco, Texas-based federal court on Saturday that they had reached a settlement over Koss' claims Apple had infringed on patents for wireless audio technology. The terms of the settlement haven't been disclosed, but the two firms said they made peace on "all matters in controversy." The trial was supposed to have started today.

Lawsuits against Bose, Skullcandy and others are still pending. While it's unclear if those cases will move forward in light of this settlement, there's little doubt that Apple and Koss were eager to avoid a courtroom fight.
We've asked Apple and Koss for comment and will update if we hear back.
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Koss sues Apple and Bose for allegedly copying wireless headphone tech

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