Bookseller giant, Barnes & Noble, resolves litigation with Spring Design over patent infringement claims
In a significant development, Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS) has announced the settlement of a lawsuit brought against them by Spring Design for patent and intellectual property violations. The settlement was announced in New York, NY on March 2, 2011.
The lawsuit was initiated by Spring Design in 2009, following a meeting with Barnes and Noble to discuss jointly creating an e-reader. Despite the potential collaboration, no agreement was reached, and Spring Design accused Barnes and Noble of copying their design for the Nook 3G. However, the details of the settlement, including the terms of any licensing and royalty fees, have not been disclosed.
The Alex e-Reader, produced by Spring Design, is now discontinued. The settlement agreement resolves all claims brought by Spring Design, which will be dismissed with prejudice.
Barnes & Noble operates 705 bookstores in 50 states and 636 college bookstores, serving nearly 4 million students and faculty members at colleges and universities across the United States through Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, a wholly-owned subsidiary.
The company's NOOK eReading product is available on various platforms, including NOOK eBook Readers, partner devices, and popular mobile and computing devices. Barnes & Noble's corporate website is www.barnesandnobleinc.com.
Michael Kozlowski, who has written about audiobooks, e-books, and e-readers for eighteen years, lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He has been a key figure in reporting on this legal dispute.
Despite the settlement, the future of Spring Design remains uncertain. With the influx of money from the settlement, Spring Design might work on the next generation of e-readers. However, the exact details are not available at this time.
It is essential to note that this summary relies on prior knowledge as the search results lack specific or updated information about the settlement and its terms. For the exact terms and the official stance, it would be necessary to consult legal filings or credible news sources from the date of the dispute and settlement.
Barnes & Noble's trademarks include NOOK, NOOK Color, NOOK Books, NOOK Newsstand, NOOK Books en español, VividView, NOOK Friends, AliveTouch, LendMe, ArticleView, Daily Shelf, NOOK Kids, NOOK Study, NOOK Developer, ReadAloud, NOOK Book Personal Shopping, Read In Store, More In Store, Free Friday, PubIt!, Lifetime Library, Read What You Love. Anywhere You Like, Touch the Future of Reading, and other trademarks.
Barnes & Noble's stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol BKS. The company has been the nation's top bookseller brand for the seventh year in a row, conducting its online business through Barnes & Noble.com, featuring over two million titles in its NOOK Bookstore.
- Spring Design, after the settlement with Barnes & Noble, might consider developing the next generation of e-readers with funds from the agreement.
- Barnes & Noble's e-reader, NOOK, is available on various platforms, including their own eBook Readers, partner devices, and popular technology gadgets.
