WiLan files new patent lawsuits against RIM, Apple, other companies

IDG News Service - WiLan, a Canadian patent licensing firm, has filed a round of new patent infringement lawsuits against Research in Motion, Apple, HTC and Sierra Wireless.

WiLan filed a patent infringement lawsuit against RIM late Monday in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The company filed a separate patent infringement lawsuit against RIM in January.

In addition, WiLan filed new patent lawsuits against Apple, HTC and Sierra Wireless last Thursday. The company filed patent lawsuits against several companies, including those three, in late 2011.

WiLan declined to comment on the lawsuits.

The new lawsuit against RIM focuses on a patent related to the use of data voice packets in Bluetooth-compliant products. The January patent lawsuit against RIM also involved Bluetooth, related to frequency sharing.

RIM, in a statement, said it would "vigorously defend itself" against the lawsuit.

Last Thursday, WiLan filed lawsuits against Apple, HTC and Sierra Wireless in same Florida court for patents related to LTE technologies.

WiLan also filed lawsuits against Apple and Sierra Wireless for a patent related to 3G HSPA handset products. Those lawsuits were filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.

Representatives of Apple, HTC and Sierra Wireless didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Grant Gross covers technology and telecom policy in the U.S. government for The IDG News Service. Follow Grant on Twitter at GrantGross. Grant's e-mail address is grant_gross@idg.com.