Apple settles iTunes patent lawsuit

Apple has settled a patent infringement lawsuit filed by Vermont-based Contois Music & Technology, which claimed that Apple stole its design for the iTunes interface. The suit was filed in June 2005, and terms of the settlement were not disclosed. “David Contois, who owns Contois Music & Technology in Essex Junction, filed a lawsuit that accused Apple of stealing his patented design for jukebox software,” reports the Burlington Free Press. “Apple denied the allegations and filed a counterclaim seeking reimbursement of its own legal expenses. The settlement ends all legal actions, and the lawsuit was dismissed, according to records at U.S. District Court in Burlington, where the case was filed.”