Firm takes aim at handset giants over patent infringement

Aloft Media L.L.C. has sued several wireless handset giants over alleged infringement of a patent for transferring contact information using a mobile phone.
Aloft Media, based in Longview, Texas, names as defendants Nokia, Motorola Inc., Palm Inc. Research in Motion Ltd. and Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications. The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas (Marshall Division), a popular venue for patent litigation.
Aloft asserts the violation involves a patent it owns, which is entitled “System, Method and Computer Program for Transferring Contact Information Using a Cellular Phone.” Aloft said U.S. Patent No. 7,330,715 was issued on Feb. 12 this year.
Patent litigation is not uncommon in the wireless and high tech sectors, which is not lost on lawmakers as they struggle to push forward controversial patent-reform legislation.
Earlier this week, RCR Wireless News reported that Intellect Wireless Inc. sued T-Mobile USA Inc., U.S. Cellular Corp., Virgin Mobile USA Inc. and Helio in federal court in Chicago over allegations that the service providers infringed wireless image messaging patents.