Report: Barnes & Noble files suit to block Nook patent royalty claim

New York City -- A report released Tuesday by Bloomberg said that Barnes & Noble has filed suit against LSI Corp. to prevent the chipmaker from demanding patent royalties on sales of the bookseller’s Nook digital reader.



According to the report, the suit is a preemptive strategy by Barnes & Noble, as LSI had previously notified the retailer of intentions “to pursue claims of infringement of the LSI patents,” according to the complaint filed Monday in federal court in San Francisco.



Barnes & Noble was named in 14 patent-infringement lawsuits last year, up from three in 2008, according to Bloomberg Law data. Including LSI, the company is involved in nine complaints so far this year.



In the LSI case, Barnes & Noble is seeking an order that it isn’t using technology covered by 10 LSI patents.



“Barnes & Noble does not infringe and has not infringed the LSI patents,” the company said in the filing. The patents cited in the lawsuit include technology for wireless local-area networks, ways to enhance communications, and a DVD audio decoder.