Online Movie Pioneer Sues Apple, Google and Napster

A U.S. pioneer in online movie distribution is suing Apple, Google and Napster, claiming they infringed on its on-demand online-movie patent.

Intertainer "was the leader of the idea of entertainment on demand over Internet platforms before Google was even thought up," Intertainer founder Jonathan Taplin told The New York Times.

The Santa Monica, Calif., company, founded in 1996 to distribute movies on demand through cable and phone lines for viewing on televisions and personal computers, shut down operations in 2002, but still has Taplin and a secretary on staff.

Taplin, a former film and TV producer, wants unspecified damages for the Web sites' alleged infringing on his August 2005 patent that covers commercial distribution of audio and video over the Internet, court papers say.

Intertainer claims irreparable harm and also asks the court to prevent Apple Inc., Google Inc. and Napster from using Intertainer's technology.

The three companies declined to comment on the lawsuit.

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