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Compaq, Dell and Gateway in patent row

By Felicity Ussher

Published: 9 February 2000 16:30 GMT

A small US company called Multi-Tech is to sue Compaq, Dell and Gateway this week, for alleged patent infringement in their use of online multimedia.

Multi-Tech Systems, a Minnesota-based developer, said it has patented the technology that simultaneously transmits voice, data and video. In particular, it claims to own the right to digitise and packet multimedia files.

Attorny Ronald Schutz told Silicon.com: "We got there first. Seven years ago we applied for these patents. The law gives us the right to demand royalty payments from every multimedia PC manufacturer at retail price level."

His law firm, Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi, won $110m in a similar patent litigation case against General Electric in 1995.

Schutz expects the trial to be heard in 18 months time.

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