Eolas Technologies, Rent-A-Center Reach Licensing Agreement Covering Two Eolas Patents for Interactive Web Applications

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Jun 22, 2011, 03:17 ET

TYLER, Texas, June 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Internet technology provider Eolas Technologies Inc. has reached a licensing agreement with Plano, Texas-based Rent-A-Center Inc. (NASDAQ: RCII) covering two Eolas patents that enable Internet browsers to host embedded interactive applications.

The agreement resolves Eolas' legal claims against Rent-A-Center in Eolas Technologies Inc. v. Adobe Systems Inc., et al., No. 6:09-cv-446. Eolas previously reached licensing agreements with Texas Instruments Inc. (NYSE: TXN); Playboy Enterprises International Inc. (NYSE: PLA); New Frontier Media (NASDAQ: NOOF); Oracle Corporation (NASDAQ: ORCL), as successor to defendant Sun Microsystems; JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM); and Argosy Publishing Inc.

Eolas conducts leading-edge research and development to create innovative technologies in data analysis, visualization, collaboration and networking. For nearly 20 years, Eolas' innovations have enabled corporations around the world to enhance their products and improve their customers' website experiences.

Eolas Chairman Dr. Michael Doyle previously served as Director for the Center for Knowledge Management at the University of California-San Francisco. A recent article in Crain's Chicago Business chronicles Dr. Doyle's role in developing the technologies for both patents, and his current work to establish a Chicago affiliate of the National Museum of Health and Medicine, including a planned opening in 2015.

The agreement with Rent-A-Center resolves legal claims related to two Eolas patents, U.S. Patent No. 5,838,906 ('906 Patent) and U.S. Patent No. 7,599,985 ('985 Patent).

The '906 Patent embodies technology that enabled web browsers for the first time to act as platforms for fully interactive embedded applications. This advanced browser technology provides rich interactive online experiences for more than a billion web users worldwide. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted the '906 Patent in November 1998.

The '906 Patent was the subject of prior litigation against Microsoft Corp. that resulted in a 2004 federal judgment of more than $565 million in favor of Eolas. The USPTO has affirmed the validity of the '906 Patent in three separate proceedings, including two patent reexaminations, the most recent of which concluded in February 2009.

The '985 Patent is a continuation of the '906 patent, and allows websites to add fully interactive embedded applications to their online offerings through the use of plug-in and AJAX (asynchronous JavaScript and XML) web development techniques. The Patent Office issued the '985 Patent in October 2009.

Companies still named as defendants in the lawsuit include Adobe Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: ADBE); Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN); Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL); CDW Corp.; Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C); eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY); Frito-Lay Inc. [a subsidiary of PepsiCo Inc. (NYSE: PEP)]; The Go Daddy Group Inc.; Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG); J.C. Penney Co. Inc. (NYSE: JCP); Office Depot Inc. (NYSE: ODP); Staples Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLS); Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO); and YouTube LLC, a subsidiary of Google Inc.