Microsoft-Backed Company Sues Apple over iOS 6 App Infringement

We have already reported yesterday that Apple is sued by California-based Ameranth because the iOS 6 Passbook application allegedly infringes its patents, but new information suggests that Microsoft is apparently involved in this saga.

Not much was said about the lawsuit, but Ameranth briefly said that Apple violates four of its patents, two called “Information management and synchronous communications system with menu generation” and the other two baptized “Information management and synchronous communications system with menu generation, and handwriting and voice modification of orders,” as VentureBeat reports.

But what’s more interesting is that Ameranth has received strategic investments from several large corporations, including the Redmond-based technology giant Microsoft.

The aforementioned source writes that Microsoft is not the only company that invested in Ameranth’s products, as Motorola and Western Pacific capital is also involved in the development of some software.

Ameranth’s documents do nothing more than to confirm this. Poker Room Manager, one of the apps created by the company’s engineers, comes with references that reveal Microsoft’s involvement.

“Ameranth has received strategic investments from Microsoft, Motorola/Symbol, Springboard Capital, and Western Pacific Capital,” the statement reads.

Beside the infringement of the four aforementioned patents, Ameranth also mentioned in its court filling that Apple cited two of its patents in papers with Bas Ording and Steve Jobs listed as investors.

“One of the Ameranth patents-in-suit, U.S. Patent No. 6,384,850 — the first patent issued in this Ameranth patent family — was cited as a prior art reference in two Apple iPhone patents issued to named inventors Bas Ording and Steven P. Jobs,” the official statement reads, according to the source.

Microsoft hasn’t yet issued a comment on the matter, but some clarification is expected soon.