Apple settles with Burst

DESPITE some tough talking over two years, the fruit-themed toymaker, Apple has settled with Burst over the use of its video technology.

Apple has written a cheque for $10 million and will now be allowed to use the technology which it 'borrowed' without asking. It will have to stump up some more cash if it wants to use Burst's new DVR technology.

Burst has had a good run with enforcing its patents and squeezed money from Microsoft for the same ones it nailed Apple with. Apple refused to pay up at first and its lawyers had some success getting the number of patents that Burst said the outfit had infringed reduced dramatically.

It looks like the real winners in the case are Burst's lawyers who look set to pocket just over half the money that has been earned.

In a press release, Burst said that it plans to continue identifying outfits who have been using its patents and will drag them to court.

As yet it has named no names of who is next on its shopping list. µ