Related: Apple Computer wins apple logo lawsuit   

    BEIJING, May 17 (Xinhuanet) -- Immediately following the lawsuit with Apple Corps, Apple Computer Inc. on Monday was sued again by Creative Technologies, maker of the Zen media player, for patent infringement.
   

    Creative asked the court to issue an injunction blocking the sale of iPods and iPod Nanos in the U.S.

    In addition, Creative also lodged a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission requesting a formal investigation into the alleged patent infringement.

    Singapore-based Creative's claims concern a patent, applied for in 2001 and was approved in August 2005. The paten covers navigational menu technology used for locating and playing music on its Zen and Nomad music players.

    Creative claimed in the lawsuit that its interface technology was developed in California and used on the Nomad Jukebox player demonstrated at the Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas in January 2000.

    Apple announced the iPod a little more than year after Creative developed their Nomad. The patent office rejected Apple's own patent application in August 2005, the same month Creative's was approved. The two systems are considered very similar. 

    The Creative suit follows in the footsteps of several other recent lawsuits filed against Apple.

    A London High Court recently ruled in Apple's favor in a suit filed by Apple Corps, the Beatles' recording label. In that suit, Apple Corps claimed that the Apple Computer logo used in connection with iTunes infringed on Apple Corps' trademark.

    In addition, Burst.com filed a patent suit in April claiming that iTunes software, iPod music players, and QuickTime technology infringed on its patents. Enditem

    (Agencies)