iPod播放列表侵權，判賠US$800萬元

專利授權公司Personal Audio公司在2009年向美國東德州聯邦法院指控Apple侵害其US6199076及US7509178等2件專利，並要求損害賠償US$8,400萬元。
Apple也在2009年年底對此案提出反訴，但並未獲得陪審團與法官認可。本案陪審團發現，Apple的確侵犯了Personal Audio兩項專利權，並認定了這兩項專利有效，2011.7.9.美國東德州聯邦法院判決Apple侵犯了Personal Audio公司播放列表專利，mbmbl 賠償Personal Audio US$800萬元經濟損失。

US6199076
Title : Audio program player including a dynamic program selection controller
Filing Date : 1996.10.2.
Issue Date : 2001.3.6.
Abstract :
An audio program and message distribution system in which a host system organizes and transmits program segments to client subscriber locations. The host organizes the program segments by subject matter and creates scheduled programming in accordance with preferences associated with each subscriber. Program segments are associated with descriptive subject matter segments, and the subject matter segments may be used to generate both text and audio cataloging presentations to enable the user to more easily identify and select desirable programming. A playback unit at the subscriber location reproduces the program segments received from the host and includes mechanisms for interactively navigating among the program segments. A usage log is compiled to record the subscriber\'s use of the provided program materials, to return data to the host for billing, to adaptively modify the subscriber\'s preferences based on actual usage, and to send subscriber-generated comments and requests to the host for processing. Voice input and control mechanisms included in the player allow the user to perform hands-free navigation of the program materials and to dictate comments and messages which are returned to the host for retransmission to other subscribers. The program segments sent to each subscriber may include advertising materials which the user can selectively play to obtain credits against the subscriber fee. Parallel audio and text transcript files for at least selected programming enable subject matter searching and synchronization of the audio and text files. Speech synthesis may be used to convert transcript files into audio format. Image files may also be transmitted from the server for synchronized playback with the audio programming.

US7509178
Title : Audio program distribution and playback system
Filing Date : 2001.2.13.
Issue Date : 2009.3.24.
Abstract :
An audio program and message distribution system in which a host system organizes and transmits program segments to client subscriber locations. A playback unit at the subscriber location reproduces the program segments received from the host and includes mechanisms for interactively navigating among the program segments. Voice input and control mechanisms included in the player allow the user to perform hands-free navigation of the program materials.