An outfit which was formerly known as Silicon Graphics has taken on six of the biggest names in the mobile phone industry.
Graphics Properties Holdings claims that by selling mobile telephones Apple, Sony, Samsung, RIM, HTC and LG were using ideas that it invented,
The case was filed in the US District Court in Wilmington, Delaware and relates to a computer graphics process that turns text and images into pixels to be displayed on screens.
Named and shamed in the patent case are Apple's iPhone and the HTC EVO4G, LG Thrill, Research in Motion Torch, Samsung Galaxy S and Galaxy S II, and Sony Xperia Play smartphones.
The company said that unless the alleged infringements are halted, it will suffer irreparable harm. The lawsuits seek to stop the sale of infringing products and if those sued feel that they should write a large cheque for royalties and other damages that will not go amiss.
Reuters could not find anyone in the sued companies that would give a comment but it is worth noting that Silicon Graphics filed for bankruptcy in 2009 and sold much of its operations to Rackable Systems. The remaining operations are based in New Rochelle, New York, and are owned by private investment firms.