Apple has countersued Creative Technology in what is becoming an expanding legal dispute over patent rights involving rival digital music players, writes the Financial Times. In the countersuit, Apple alleged that Creative infringed four patents for user-interface systems on its digital music players; Creative had made a similar allegation against Apple.
Sim Wong Hoo, founder and CEO of Singapore-based Creative, last year decided to challenge Apple for dominance of the MP3 player market; Apple has 77 percent of the U.S. market, and Creative has less than 10 percent.
Creative faces an uphill struggle in MP3 market; it is being challenged by Samsung and Sony, and Nokia and Motorola are adding MP3 functions to their mobile phones.
