Pennsylvania Man Sues Apple Over Web Carousel Use

Pennsylvania resident Samuel Lit has hit Apple with a lawsuit claiming that the company infringed on his patent for web carousels, according to documents filed in the Northern Illinois District Court (via AppleInsider). Apple's website typically features a homepage with a carousel containing four to five windows displaying its products.

Lit owns U.S. Patent No. 8,793,330, which is a "system and method for displaying graphics, art, text, animation, video and other content." It's described as a "three-dimensional 'Display Carousel' system" that can cycle through its windows in a rotating manner that makes it look like a carousel at a predetermined speed.

The lawsuit claims that Apple's website, which also has a system that cycles through windows in a rotating manner at a predetermined speed, infringes some or all of the 20 claims of the patent. Some of Apple's infringements on Claim 16 include having a "system for displaying content," a "display carousel embedded" into the website, a display engine to deliver the carousel content when its on a web browser, and a database to track how many customers purchase things linked from the carousel.

Lit is seeking "reasonable" royalties with interest. While Lit is a radio broadcaster, he used to work with software systems and engines for Hy Lit Radio Technologies, which was named after his father Hy Lit, another radio broadcaster. He previously attempted to monetize his patent via a website called YourDisplayCarousel.com but the site shut down in December.